Construction and Segmental Reconstitution of Full-Length Infectious Clones of Milk Vetch Dwarf Virus.

Abstract

The construction of infectious clones (ICs) is essential for studying viral replication, pathogenesis, and host interactions. Milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV), a nanovirus with a multipartite, single-stranded DNA genome, presents unique challenges for IC development due to its segmented genome organization. To enable functional analysis of its genome, we constructed full-length tandem-dimer-based ICs for all eight MDV genomic segments. Each segment was cloned into a binary vector and co-delivered into Nicotiana benthamiana, Nicotiana tabacum, Vicia faba, and Vigna unguiculata plants via Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation. Systemic infection was successfully reconstituted in all host plants, with PCR-based detection confirming the presence of all viral segments in the infected leaves of nearly all tested plants. Segmental accumulation in infected plants was quantified using qPCR, revealing non-equimolar distribution across hosts. This study establishes the first complete IC system for MDV, enabling reproducible infection, replication analysis, and quantitative segment profiling. It provides a foundational tool for future molecular investigations into MDV replication, host interactions, and viral movement, advancing our understanding of nanovirus biology and transmission dynamics.