Infection of barley protoplasts with rice hoja blanca tenuivirus - Brief Report

A barley protoplast system has been established that supports replication o f Rice hoja blanca tenuivirus (RHBV). Following polyethylene glycol-mediate d RHBV inoculation of barley protoplasts, newly synthesized viral RNAs and proteins could be detected. Time course analyses revealed de novo synthesis of genome length viral RNA4, as well as subgenomic-sized RNA4 molecules of both polarities. Two proteins, N and NS4, encoded by viral complementary R NA3 and viral RNA4 respectively, were detected by Western immunoblot analys is. The barley protoplast system thus constitutes a promising tool for in v ivo studies of the sequential steps involved in the multiplication cycle of RHBV.