Crystal structure of tomato spotted wilt virus G <sub>N</sub> reveals a dimer complex formation and evolutionary link to animal-infecting viruses
Y. Bahat, Joel Alter, Moshe Dessau
Abstract
Significance Tospoviruses are major field crop pathogens that cause significant economic damage, raising global food security concerns. However, their assembly, attachment to their host cells, and genome delivery mechanisms remain unclear. This paper provides detailed structural insights on tospovirus glycoprotein N (G N ). The significant knowledge gap regarding the structure and function of envelope glycoproteins from plant viruses in general and tospoviruses in particular impedes our fundamental understanding of these viruses’ host cell recognition and entry mechanisms. Our structural analysis of the tomato spotted wilt virus glycoprotein N (TSWV G N ) reveals an evolutionary link between plant- and animal-infecting viruses that extends beyond the Bunyavirales order, describes a dimerization interface, and provides possible strategies for countermeasures against these important agricultural threats.