Аннотация:A coordinated and generalized plant response to adverse environmental factors largelydepends on the proper and finely-tuned regulation of intercellular transport via plasmodesmata (PD). However, the knowledge of the whole network of PD-controlling mechanisms isfar from complete. Earlier, a cellular factor, Kunitz peptidase inhibitor-like protein (KPILP),that affects PD gating and plays a proviral role, was identified in Nicotiana benthamianaplants. Here we characterized its homolog from N. tabacum, NtKPILP, which is hardlydetectable in leaves of intact plants, in contrast to roots, flowers and seeds where NtKPILPis highly expressed. However, its mRNA accumulation in leaves increases in responseto various stresses, including viral infection. NtKPILP was demonstrated to affect chloroplast functioning. Using the virus-induced gene silencing approach, we have shown thatNtKPILP downregulation negatively affects intercellular transport of macromolecules, inducing callose deposition at PD and suppressing beta-1,3-glucanase mRNA accumulation.Together, the obtained results indicate that NtKPILP is a viral infection-responsive cellularfactor that is involved in PD permeability regulation, sharing thus the features of KPILPsfrom other Nicotiana species.