High-resolution microscopy of whole plant cells reveals virus-induced changes to intercellular connectivity
- 1Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Abstract
Plasmodesmata (PD) provide plant viruses a direct route for cell-to-cell spread. Viral infection increases intercellular trafficking via PD, termed gating, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. Here, using a combination of high-resolution volume electron microscopy and live cell imaging, we demonstrate that diverse viruses increased the number of PD in infected leaves. This increase was triggered by viral movement proteins and the induction of PD formation depended on the presence of the virus and the localization of movement proteins to PD. Further, Group I Remorins, known inhibitors of virus infection, are negative regulators of PD formation and inhibit virus or movement protein-induced changes to PD density. Our results lead to a model in which viral gating of PD may result from increased de novo PD formation.
Related
- Comparative genomics and super-resolution microscopy of novel cyanophages reveals genomic isomerism, auxiliary genes, and a non-synchronous infection process
- Cell-type-specific glutamine synthetase inhibition reveals the intercellular nitrogen economy in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.
- Rab11-exosome biogenesis regulators mediate Aβ-induced intercellular propagation of endolysosomal trafficking defects and neurodegeneration
- Multi-foci replication domains in Haloferax volcanii visualised by super-resolution microscopy
- Diffusion MR Microscopy of the Human Hippocampus at 50 μm Resolution at 14.1 T for 3D Virtual Histology
BibTeX
@misc{reagan2026highresolution,
title = {{High-resolution microscopy of whole plant cells reveals virus-induced changes to intercellular connectivity}},
author = {B. C. Reagan and A. Angermeier and S. P. Nuzzi and M. R. Alazem and A. A. Zanini and A. Lugo Saaverda and C. W. Nichols and L. Rotkina and K. J. Czymmek and T. M. Burch-Smith},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.28.755083},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.755083v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - High-resolution microscopy of whole plant cells reveals virus-induced changes to intercellular connectivity
AU - B. C. Reagan
AU - A. Angermeier
AU - S. P. Nuzzi
AU - M. R. Alazem
AU - A. A. Zanini
AU - A. Lugo Saaverda
AU - C. W. Nichols
AU - L. Rotkina
AU - K. J. Czymmek
AU - T. M. Burch-Smith
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.28.755083
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.755083v1
AB - Plasmodesmata (PD) provide plant viruses a direct route for cell-to-cell spread. Viral infection increases intercellular trafficking via PD, termed gating, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. Here, using a combination of high-resolution volume electron microscopy and live cell imaging, we demonstrate that diverse viruses increased the number of PD in infected leaves. This increase was triggered by viral movement proteins and the induction of PD formation depended on the presence of the virus and the localization of movement proteins to PD. Further, Group I Remorins, known inhibitors of virus infection, are negative regulators of PD formation and inhibit virus or movement protein-induced changes to PD density. Our results lead to a model in which viral gating of PD may result from increased de novo PD formation.
ER -