Interaction between a geminivirus replication protein and origin DNA is essential for viral replication.

The geminivirus, tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV), encodes one protein, AL1, that is absolutely required for viral DNA replication. AL1 interacts with the TGMV DNA genome by binding specifically to the viral origin of replication. We have investigated the nature and significance of AL1/origin interactions in vitro and in vivo by using competitive DNA binding and transient replication assays. Competition assays established that a 13-base pair (bp) element (5'-GGTAGTAAGGTAG) containing two 5-bp direct repeat motifs separated by a 3-bp central core constitutes a high affinity AL1 binding site. DNAs containing intact 3' repeat sequences plus core (TAAGGTAG and ccTAGTAAGGTAG) were stronger competitors for AL1 binding than DNAs containing intact 5' repeat sequences plus core (GGTAGTAA and GGTAGTA-AccTAG), thereby demonstrating that AL1 interacts differently with the repeat motifs. Replication in tobacco protoplasts established that the AL1 binding site is an essential cis-acting element for viral replication. No replication was detected for DNAs containing mutations in either of the repeat motifs of the AL1 recognition sequence when AL1 was provided in trans from a plant gene expression vector. In contrast, a DNA with a mutation in the 5' repeat motif (ccTAGTAAGGTAG) replicated when both AL1 and AL3, a TGMV protein involved in viral DNA accumulation, were provided in trans. No replication was detected for a DNA containing a mutation in the 3' repeat motif (GGTAGTAAccTAG) in the presence of AL1 and AL3. The in vitro and in vivo results suggest that binding of AL1 to the 3' repeat element is an essential step in DNA replication, while binding to the 5' repeat element may serve to enhance viral replication.