In vitro binding and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays suggest an interaction between tomato mosaic virus coat protein and tobacco chloroplast ferredoxin I.

Symptom development of a viral plant disease results from molecular interactions between the virus and its host plant. Tomato mosaic virus coat protein (ToMV CP) not only plays a major role in virion assembly and long-distance movement but is also responsible for symptom development in ToMV-infected plants. This study provides evidence that chloroplast ferredoxin I (Fd I) interacts with ToMV CP in a GAL4-based two-hybrid yeast system for screening a Nicotiana tabacum cDNA library. The interaction between CP and Fd I was confirmed by in vitro binding and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays in plant cells.