ARS | Publication request: IMPROVING A WHEAT STREAK MOSAIC VIRUS BASED GENE EXPRESSION VECTOR FOR CEREAL CROPS

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 1, 2002
Publication Date: June 15, 2002
Citation: FRENCH, R.C., HORKEN, K.M., STENGER, D.C. IMPROVING A WHEAT STREAK MOSAIC VIRUS BASED GENE EXPRESSION VECTOR FOR CEREAL CROPS. American Phytopathological Society Abstracts. 2002. Phytopathology 92:(Supplement) S104

Technical Abstract: Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a mite-transmitted virus in the family Potyviridae infecting many grasses including several important cereals. WSMV can tolerate addition of foreign gene sequences at the NIb-CP junction and translated proteins are excised from the polyprotein if a NIa protease cleavage site is introduced. Expression patterns of a WSMV-GUS construct were followed over time in Bobwhite spring wheat plants up to eight weeks old at time of inoculation. Tissues expressing GUS 25 days pi included leaf, culm, rachis, inflorescence, and seed pericarp. The P1 proteinase cleavage site was mapped allowing sequences to be inserted between P1 and HC-Pro. Insertions at this site are more stable over time than those at the NIb-CP junction. WSMV vectors with insertions at both P1-HC-Pro and NIb-CP junctions expressed two reporter genes. This will allow expression of a gene of interest with simultaneous expression of a readily detectable reporter gene such as GUS.