Silencing of the AV2 gene by antisense RNA protects transgenic plants against a bipartite begomovirus.

ABSTRACT: Whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses (genus Begomovirus) are phytopathogens that cause heavy losses to crops worldwide. Efforts to engineer resistance against these viruses are focused mainly on silencing of complementary-sense virus genes involved in virus replication. Here we have targeted a virion-sense gene (AV2) to develop resistance against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus, a bipartite begomovirus prevalent throughout the Indian subcontinent. We show that tobacco plants transformed with an antisense construct targeting this gene are resistant to the virus. Following challenged with the virus, transgenic plants remained symptomless, although viral DNA could be detected in some plants by PCR. This is the first report of transgenic resistance against a bipartite begomovirus obtained by ta

SUBMITTER: Mubin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1796863 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature