Structure

The CaMV particle is an icosahedron with a diameter of 52 nm built from 420 capsid protein (CP) subunits arranged with a triangulation T !" which surrounds a sol#ent$filled central ca#it%&'5(')( *t contains a circular double$stranded +,- molecule of about .&0 /ilobases" interrupted b% site$specific discontinuities resulting from its replication b% re#erse transcription& -fter entering the host" the single stranded nic/s in the #iral +,- are repaired" forming a supercoiled molecule that binds to histones& This +,- is transcribed into a full length" terminall% redundant" 051 2,- and a subgenomic 341 2,-&
Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) is the type species of the family Caulimoviridae. This family is grouped together with Hepadnaviruses into the Pararetrovirus group due to its mode of replication via reverse transcription of a pre-genomic RN intermediate.

CaMV infects mostl% plants of the Brassicaceae famil% (such as caulifower and turnip) but some CaMV strains (+4 and 52)0) are also able to infect Solanaceae species of the genera Datura and Nicotiana& CaMV induces a #ariet% of s%stemic s%mptoms such as mosaic" necrotic lesions on leaf surfaces" stunted growth" and deformation of the o#erall plant structure& The s%mptoms e6hibited #ar% depending on the #iral strain" host ecot%pe" and en#ironmental conditions&'0( CaMV is transmitted in a non$circulator% manner b% aphid species such as Myzus persicae&'4( 7nce introduced within a plant host cell" #irions migrate to the nuclear en#elope& 5orldwide" especiall% in temperate areas of the 8nited 1tates and 9urope Viral :enome 9ach #irus particle contains a single molecule of circular double$stranded +,- of . /bp& The +,- of most isolates of CaMV has three discontinuities (+3" +2" and +0 in ;ig& 2)" one in one strand (the a strand) and two in the other (%ielding the b and g strands)< one strain has onl% two discontinuities" one in each strand& The discontinuities ha#e an unusual structure" with a fi6ed 5= +,- nucleotide (with sometimes one or two ribonucleotides attached) and #ariable 0= end" o#erlapping the 5= end b% 30 to 00 nucleotides& The% are the sites of the priming of (>)$ and ($)$ strand +,- replication" and this unusual structure results from #iral replication (see below)& The +,- has a twisted conformation that" because of the discontinuities" cannot be supercoiled" the constraining forces being un/nown& Figure 2. Genome organization of CaMV. The doublestranded DN genome is re!resented b" the thic# double circle$ %ith the discontinuities sho%n as The !romoters for the &'S and ()S transcri!ts are indicated b" *. and the !ositions of the transcri!ts are sho%n b" the outer arcs. The inner arcs are the o!en reading frames + to V+++.