Recessive and dominant genes interfere with the vascular transport of Potato virus A in diploid potatoes

Resistance to Potato virus A (PVA) was examined in a diploid cross involving Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigena as a resistance source. Hypersensitive resistance (HR) to PVA cosegregated with extreme resistance (ER) to Potato virus Y conferred by the dominant gene Ry(adg) on chromosome XI. Hence, HR to PVA was controlled by a novel, dominant resistance gene closely linked to Ry(adg), or Ry(adg) recognized both viruses but conferred a different type of resistance to each virus. The HR prevented systemic infection with PVA following mechanical inoculation but not following graft inoculation. Another, recessive gene, ra, that may be linked or even allelic with Ry(adg) fully blocked vascular transport of PVA in graft-inoculated plants. Hence, a possibility exists that the genes for the three types of resistance to potyviruses may reside at the same, resistance gene-rich chromosome region syntenic in solanaceous species and might be related. The gene ra acted against all of the three PVA strains tested and, therefore, the avirulence determinants could not be mapped. However, also, PVA strain-specific resistance was found in the progeny. It was overcome by mutations introduced into the viral genome-linked protein and the helper component proteinase and/or the coat protein.