Field resistance of transgenic burley tobacco lines and hybrids expressing the tobacco vein mottling virus coat protein gene

Fifty transgenic lines expressing the tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) coat protein (CP) gene in five genetic backgrounds were evaluated under field conditions for response to mechanic inoculation with TVMV, tobacco etch virus (TEV) and potato virus Y (PVY). TVMV CP transgenic lines conferred resistance to TVMV, TEV and PVY under field conditions. Combining two strategies, coat protein-mediated resistance (CPMR) coupled with an endogenous resistance gene (Virgin A Mutant, VAM) significantly extended the range and magnitude of virus resistance and provided a potential valuable new source of protection against potyviruses. CP transgenic lines lacking the VAM gene had high resistance to TEV, medium resistance to PVY, and a recovery phenotype to TVMV. A series of hybrids involving transgenic lines were generated and tested under field conditions for response to virus inoculation. One copy of TVMV-CP gene presented in lines homozygous for the VAM gene provided effective resistance to all three potyviruses. These studies also suggested that selection of a suitable recipient genotype was critical and that field evaluation was necessary in order to select elite resistant transgenic lines. Engineering viral CP genes into genotypes possessing some level of virus resistance could be critical to achieve an effective level of resistance.     

Combining a host gene and a tobacco vein mottling virus coat protein gene for broad and effective resistance to potyviruses in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Over 100 transgenic tobacco lines in five genetic backgrounds were transformed with the tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) coat protein (CP) gene. Transgenic lines were initially tested for their reaction to inoculation with a TVMV systemic strain (TVMV-S) and a potato virus Y common strain (PVY-O). Of the 104 TVMV CP lines 60% were classified as resistant to PVY-O, whereas only 30% of these same lines were resistant to TVMV-S. A subset of six PVY-O-resistant transgenic lines and four control lines were tested for their reaction to a local isolate of TVMV, tobacco etch virus (TEV) and five isolates of PVY. The same ten lines were also tested for responses to a serial dilution of inoculum for two PVY isolates, PVY-KY1 and PVY-NN. Transgenic lines carrying an endogenous resistance gene known as Virgin A mutant (VAM) had greater resistance and a broader spectrum of resistance than did transgenic lines without the VAM gene. This additive effect of the endogenous resistance gene and coat protein-mediated resistance (CPMR) was not overcome by the highest inoculum concentration. The results indicate that the additive effect of the VAM gene and CPMR could extend the effectiveness of CPMR in controlling potiviruses. These findings could have important implications for plant improvement programs using CPMR against potyvirus diseases.     

RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (NIb) of the Potyviruses Is an Avirulence Factor for the Broad-Spectrum Resistance Gene Pvr4 in Capsicum annuum cv. CM334

Potyviruses are one of the most destructive viral pathogens of Solanaceae plants. In Capsicum annuum landrace CM334, a broad-spectrum gene, Pvr4 is known to be involved in resistance against multiple potyviruses, including Pepper mottle virus (PepMoV), Pepper severe mosaic virus (PepSMV), and Potato virus Y (PVY). However, a potyvirus avirulence factor against Pvr4 has not been identified. To identify the avirulence factor corresponding to Pvr4 in potyviruses, we performed Agrobacterium-mediated transient expressions of potyvirus protein coding regions in potyvirus-resistant (Pvr4) and -susceptible (pvr4) pepper plants. Hypersensitive response (HR) was observed only when a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NIb) of PepMoV, PepSMV, or PVY was expressed in Pvr4-bearing pepper leaves in a genotype-specific manner. In contrast, HR was not observed when the NIb of Tobacco etch virus (TEV), a virulent potyvirus, was expressed in Pvr4-bearing pepper leaves. Our results clearly demonstrate that NIbs of PepMoV, PepSMV, and PVY serve as avirulence factors for Pvr4 in pepper plants.     

Expression of the PVYO coat protein (CP) under the control of the PVX CP gene leader sequence: protection under greenhouse and field conditions against PVYO and PVYN infection in three potato cultivars

Coat protein-mediated resistance (CPMR), resistance conferred as a result of the expression of viral coat proteins in transgenic plants, has been illustrated to be an effective way of protecting plants against several plant viruses. Nonetheless, consistent protection has not been achieved for transgenic plants expressing the coat protein of potato virus Y (PVY), the type member of the potyvirus family. In this report, three different potato cultivars were transformed with a chimeric construct consisting of the capsid protein (CP) coding sequences of PVY flanked by the AUG codon and the translational enhancer from the coat protein gene of potato virus X (PVX). These cultivars were shown to express high levels of PVY CP and confer a high degree of protection against PVY^o and PVY^N under both greenhouse and field conditions. In addition, transgenic plants infected with potato virus A (PVA), a related potyvirus, exhibited a delay in virus accumulation, which could be easily overcome with increasing virus concentrations. Received: 26 October 1995 / Accepted: 14 June 1996     

The use of cysteine proteinase inhibitors to engineer resistance against potyviruses in transgenic tobacco plants

As the processing mechanism of all known potyviruses involves the activity of cysteine proteinases, we asked whether constitutive expression of a rice cysteine proteinase inhibitor gene could induce resistance against two important potyviruses, tobacco etch virus (TEV) and potato virus Y (PVY), in transgenic tobacco plants. Tobacco lines expressing the foreign gene at varying levels were examined for resistance against TEV and PVY infection. There was a clear, direct correlation between the level of oryzacystatin message, inhibition of papain (a cysteine proteinase), and resistance to TEV and PVY in all lines tested. The inhibitor was ineffective against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection because processing of this virus does not involve cysteine proteinases. These results show that plant cystatins can be used against different potyviruses and potentially also against other viruses, whose replication involves cysteine proteinase activity.     

Genetic variability of Potato virus Y (PVY) and Tobacco etch virus (TEV) from naturally infected pepper fields in the Hatay region of Turkey

The genetic structure of Potato virus Y (PVY) and Tobacco etch virus (TEV) (Potyvirus) populations was investigated in pepper fields in two regions in Turkey. The diversity of PVY and TEV populations according to coat protein (CP) and VPg coding regions showed some similarity. All the isolates built a monophyletic group due to a single introduction event or multiple introductions of genetically similar isolates. All the isolates of both viruses showed evidence to the diversification for a long time. Based on VPg and CP sequences, all PVY isolates corresponded to clade C1. Turkish potyvirus isolates were only able to break the pvr2¹ resistance allele and therefore belonged to pathotype (0,?1). The Pvr4 dominant gene was found to be efficient and durable against PVY but not at all efficient against TEV. Consequently, the pvr2² resistance allele, efficient resistance against PVY and TEV pathotype (0,?1) isolates, would be the most suitable strategy to control potyviruses.     

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a coat protein gene of tobacco mosaic virus are resistant to some other tobamoviruses

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing the coat protein (CP) gene of tobacco mosaic virus were tested for resistance against infection by five other tobamoviruses sharing 45-82% homology in CP amino acid sequence with the CP of tobacco mosaic virus. The transgenic plants (CP+) showed significant delays in systemic disease development after inoculation with tomato mosaic virus or tobacco mild green mosaic virus compared to the control (CP-) plants, but showed no resistance against infection by ribgrass mosaic virus. On a transgenic local lesion host, the CP+ plants showed greatly reduced numbers of necrotic lesions compared to the CP- plants after inoculation with tomato mosaic virus, pepper mild mottle virus, tobacco mild green mosaic virus, and Odontoglossum ringspot virus but not ribgrass mosaic virus. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanism(s) of CP-mediated protection.     

Engineered resistance against plant virus diseases

The development of genetic engineering techniques has enabled the production of transgenic plants that are resistant to viral diseases. Expressing the coat protein (CP) gene of a virus in Iransgenic plants confers resistance against the virus from which the gene was isolated, and to other closely related strains and viruses. This approach has been demonstrated to be effective in conferring protection against viruses from different virus groups including alfalfa mosaic virus, cucumovirus. ilarvirus, potex-virus, potyvirus, tobamovirus and tobravirus. The data available indicate that several factors may affect the efficiency of the protection obtained including the level of the CP in the transgenic plants, the plant in which the CP gene is expressed and enviromental conditions. These and other aspects of coat protein mediated resistance are discussed.     

Resistance to Vanilla Necrosis Potyvirus in Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana Plants Containing the Virus Coat Protein Gene

The full-length vanilla necrosis potyvirus (VNV) coat protein (CP) gene was introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana plants via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Four constructs contained either: sense (+) CP sequence, antisense (-) CP sequence, sense CP sequence with a Kozak's consensus ATG resulting in a change in the first amino acid, or antisense CP sequence with the Kozak's modification. When mechanically inoculated with a high concentration of VNV, one of the plant lines containing the full-length sense CP gene was highly resistant to virus infection. Plants from the resistant lines expressed the CP at a relatively low level compared to susceptible lines containing the same construct. Plants containing the other three constructs were either susceptible or showed delayed symptom expression.     

Calanthe Mild Mosaic Virus, a New Potyvirus Causing a Mild Mosaic Disease of Calanthe Orchid in Japan

Calanthe mild mosaic potyvirus (CalMMV), a previously undescribed virus found in several locations in Japan, causes mild leaf mosaic and flower colour breaking of Calanthe plants. CalMMV was mechanically transmitted only to Calanthe sp., Phalaenopsis sp. and Tetragonia expansa of 50 plant species tested and was transmitted by the aphid Myzus persicae in a nonpersistent manner. The virus has flexuotis particles about 764 nm long and induced the formation of intracellular cytoplasmic cylindrical inclusions. The virus particles contain a single poly-peptide of 32.0 kDa and a single RNA of mol. weight 3.1 × 10⁶. As determined by immuno-electron microscopy, CalMMV is distantly related to the Japanese isolate of dendrobium mosaic potyvirus (DeMV-J), but it showed no serological relationship to any of seven other potyviruses. The sequence of the 3'-terminal 1306 nucleo-tides of the viral genome was determined. The coat protein (CP) coding sequence is predicted to be 804 nucleotides in length, encoding a protein of 268 amino acids with a calculated mol. weight of 30 389. The 3' noncoding region is 169 nucleotides long and is followed by a polyadenylate tract. The amino acid sequence of the CP of CalMMV was 73% homologous to that of DeMV-J, but less than 66% to other potyviruses.     

Cucumber mosaic virus coat protein-mediated protection

Transgenic tobacco plants (CP +) that express the coat protein gene of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-Y strain were highly protected from infection with either CMV virions or CMV RNA, while transgenic protoplasts were also protected from infection with CMV virions but not with CMV RNA. CP + plants showed greater susceptibility to infection with satellite RNA-free CMV-Y than CMV-Y containing satellite RNA. At temperatures above 30°C, CP + plants did not or poorly resist infection with CMV. Elevated temperature affected the accumulation of CP rather than its mRNA, suggesting that CP molecules are mainly involved in virus resistance in CP + plants.     

Local and systemic spread of tobacco mosaic virus in transgenic tobacco.

Expression of a chimeric gene encoding the coat protein (CP) of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in transgenic tobacco plants confers resistance to infection by TMV. We investigated the spread of TMV within the inoculated leaf and throughout the plant following inoculation. Plants that expressed the CP gene [CP(+)] and those that did not [CP(-)] accumulated equivalent amounts of virus in the inoculated leaves after inoculation with TMV-RNA, but the CP(+) plants showed a delay in the development of systemic symptoms and reduced virus accumulation in the upper leaves. Tissue printing experiments demonstrated that if TMV infection became systemic, spread of virus occurred in the CP(+) plants essentially as it occurred in the CP(-) plants although at a reduced rate. Through a series of grafting experiments, we showed that stem tissue with a leaf attached taken from CP(+) plants prevented the systemic spread of virus. Stem tissue without a leaf had no effect on TMV spread. All of these findings indicate that protection against systemic spread in CP(+) plants is caused by one or more mechanisms that, in correlation with the protection against initial infection upon inoculation, result in a phenotype of resistance to TMV.     

CMV抑制PVYN CP基因沉默及其介导的抗病性

以前曾报道用RNA介导的抗病毒策略,获得了高度抗病的表达马铃薯Y病毒坏死株系外壳蛋白基因(PVY^N CP)的转基因烟草,并对T1、T2代转基因植株进行了遗传和抗病性分析。此次以T,代转基因植株为试验材料,在筛选高度抗病植株并证明其抗病性是基于转基因沉默的基础上,采用Northern杂交的方法,证明CMV侵染抑制了转基因植株中PVY^N CP基因的沉默,而且CMV对PVY^N CP基因沉默的抑制部位是发生在接种后的新生叶上,接种叶及其下部叶片中PVY^N CP基因沉默则未受到影响。采用ELISA方法对CMV PVY^N复合接种的转基因植株进行PVY^N检测,结果表明,接种叶及下部叶没有检测到PVY^N,植株叶片对PVY^N表现为抗病。而在CMV接种后植株新生叶中则检测出了高滴度的PVY^N,植株叶片对PVY^N表现为感病。该文报道了在表达PVY^N CP基因的RNA介导抗性转基因植株中,异源病毒侵染抑制了转基因的沉默,并导致转基因植株的抗病性丧失。     

Peanut Stripe Potyvirus Resistance in Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Plants Carrying Viral Coat Protein Gene Sequences

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) lines exhibiting high levels of resistance to peanut stripe virus (PStV) were obtained following microprojectile bombardment of embryogenic callus derived from mature seeds. Fertile plants of the commercial cultivars Gajah and NC7 were regenerated following co-bombardment with the hygromycin resistance gene and one of two forms of the PStV coat protein (CP) gene, an untranslatable, full length sequence (CP2) or a translatable gene encoding a CP with an N-terminal truncation (CP4). High level resistance to PStV was observed for both transgenes when plants were challenged with the homologous virus isolate. The mechanism of resistance appears to be RNA-mediated, since plants carrying either the untranslatable CP2 or CP4 had no detectable protein expression, but were resistant or immune (no virus replication). Furthermore, highly resistant, but not susceptible CP2 T0 plants contained transgene-specific small RNAs. These plants now provide important germplasm for peanut breeding, particularly in countries where PStV is endemic and poses a major constraint to peanut production.     

Sorghum chlorotic spot virus binds to potyvirus cylindrical inclusions in tobacco leaf cells

Nicotiana benthamiana can be doubly infected with either potato virus Y or tobacco etch virus and sorghum chlorotic spot virus (SCSV). Immunogold labeling showed that cylindrical inclusions of either potyvirus bind virions of the unrelated rod-shaped furovirus SCSV. Not all cells in doubly infected N. benthamiana plants contained both viruses. In cells infected by the potyviruses but not by SCSV, cylindrical inclusions did not label with the antiserum to SCSV. Numbers of cells infected with SCSV did not increase in doubly infected plants compared to those in plants infected with SCSV alone. Systemic infection of N. benthamiana by either potyvirus was not prevented by SCSV infections. This provides further evidence that unrelated rod-shaped viruses can bind to potyvirus cylindrical inclusion bodies, and that this phenomenon is not limited to graminaceous hosts.     

Studies of coat protein-mediated resistance to tobacco mosaic tobamovirus: correlation between assembly of mutant coat proteins and resistance.

Coat protein-mediated resistance (CP-MR) has been widely used to protect transgenic plants against virus diseases. To characterize the mechanisms of CP-MR to tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMV) we developed mutants of the coat protein that affected subunit-subunit interactions. Mutant CPs were expressed during TMV replication as well as in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants. The mutation T42-->W increased protein aggregation and T28-->W abolished aggregation and assembly, while the mutations T28-->W plus T42-->W and T89-->W altered normal CP subunit-subunit interactions. The mutant T28W was unable to assemble virus-like particles (VLPs) during infection and in transgenic plants failed to aggregate; this protein conferred no protection against challenge of transgenic plants by TMV. The mutant T42W had strong CP subunit-subunit interactions and formed VLPs but not infectious virions. Transgenic lines with this protein exhibited stronger protection against TMV infection than transgenic plants that contained the wild-type (wt) CP. It is proposed that increased resistance conferred by the T42W mutant results from strong interaction between transgenic CP subunits and challenge virus CP subunits. CP carrying the mutation T89-->W formed flexuous and unstable VLPs whereas the double mutant T28W:T42W formed open helical structures that accumulated as paracrystalline arrays. In transgenic plants, T89W and the double mutant CPs showed reduced ability to aggregate and provided lower protection against TMV infection than wt CP. A strong correlation between normal CP subunit-subunit interactions and CP-MR is observed, and a model for CP-MR involving interactions between the transgenic CP and the CP of the challenge virus as well as interference with virus movement is discussed.     

Ectopic expression of a recessive resistance gene generates dominant potyvirus resistance in plants

Despite long-standing plant breeding investments and early successes in genetic engineering, plant viral pathogens still cause major losses in agriculture worldwide. Early transgenic approaches involved the expression of pathogen-derived sequences that provided limited protection against relatively narrow ranges of viral pathotypes. In contrast, this study demonstrates that the ectopic expression of pvr1 , a recessive gene from Capsicum chinense , results in dominant broad-spectrum potyvirus resistance in transgenic tomato plants ( Solanum lycopersicum ). The pvr1 locus in pepper encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E. Naturally occurring point mutations at this locus result in monogenic recessive broad-spectrum potyvirus resistance that has been globally deployed via plant breeding programmes for more than 50 years. Transgenic tomato progenies that over-expressed the Capsicum pvr1 allele showed dominant resistance to several tobacco etch virus strains and other potyviruses, including pepper mottle virus, a range of protection similar to that observed in pepper homozygous for the pvr1 allele.     

High resistance to cucumber mosaic virus conferred by satellite RNA and coat protein in transgenic commercial tobacco cultivar G-140.

A chimeric vector was constructed to express cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) satellite (Sat) RNA and coat protein (CP). Transgenic lines of tobacco cultivar G-140 expressing CP and Sat-RNA were obtained; these lines had high resistance to CMV. Fifty to 70% of the transgenic plants were symptomless 90 days after inoculation with 25-50 micrograms/ml of CMV. Resistance was about twice that conferred by the Sat-RNA or the CP gene alone in transformed plants.