Open AccessTobacco Plants Transformed with a Modified Coat Protein of Tomato Mottle Begomovirus Show Resistance to Virus Infection
Author(s) -
X. H. Sinisterra,
Jane E. Polston,
A. M. Abouzid,
E. Hiebert
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.264
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1943-7684
pISSN - 0031-949X
DOI - 10.1094/phyto.1999.89.8.701
Subject(s) - biology , nicotiana tabacum , virology , transgene , inoculation , plant virus , virus , western blot , dot blot , gene , horticulture , genetics
Tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum ‘Xanthi’) were transformed with a binary vector containing the coat protein gene of tomato mottle begomo-virus (ToMoV) modified by the deletion of 30 nucleotides in the 5′ end. The R 1 generation was screened for resistance to ToMoV by inoculation with viruliferous whiteflies. Fifteen days after inoculation, symptom development was recorded weekly for up to 120 days using a visual scale, and ToMoV infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The response to high inoculation levels of ToMoV varied and ranged from susceptibility to immunity. The transgene transcript was detected by northern blot analysis; however, the transgene product could not be detected by protein blot analysis using antisera reactive with ToMoV coat protein. The lack of detection of the transgene product in resistant plants suggests that it is not involved in eliciting the resistance response and that resistance may be mediated by the transgene transcript.