Citrus tristeza virus is a member of the genus Closterovirus in the family Closteroviridae. The p23 of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is a multifunctional protein and RNA silencing suppressor. In this study, we identified a p23 interacting partner, FK506-binding protein (FKBP) 17-2, from Citrus aurantifolia (CaFKBP17-2), a susceptible host, and Nicotiana benthamiana (NbFKBP17-2), an experimental host for CTV. The interaction of p23 with CaFKBP17-2 and NbFKBP17-2 were individually confirmed by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. Subcellular localization tests showed that the viral p23 translocated FKBP17-2 from chloroplasts to the plasmodesmata of epidermal cells of N. benthamiana leaves. The knocked-down expression level of NbFKBP17-2 mRNA resulted in a decreased CTV titer in N. benthamiana plants. Further, BiFC and Y2H assays showed that NbFKBP17-2 also interacted with the coat protein (CP) of CTV, and the complexes of CP/NbFKBP17-2 rapidly moved in the cytoplasm. Moreover, p23 guided the CP/NbFKBP17-2 complexes to move along the cell wall. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of viral proteins interacting with FKBP17-2 encoded by plants. Our results provide insights for further revealing the mechanism of the CTV CP protein movement.
Keywords: FK506-binding protein; citrus tristeza virus; coat protein; p23; protein-protein interaction.