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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413865
Research Project: Harnessing Genomic Technologies Toward Improving Vegetable Health in Field and Controlled Environments

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: N NLR-mediated resistance to tomato brown rugose fruit virus in transgenic tomato and characterization of its temperature sensitivity

Author
item ZHOU, JING - Orise Fellow
item Gilliard, Andrea
item TUNG, JEFFREY - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item DINESH-KUMAR, SAVITHRAMMA - University Of California, Davis
item WHITHAM, STEVE - Iowa State University
item Baker, Barbara
item Ling, Kai Shu

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2025
Publication Date: 11/1/2024
Citation: Zhou, J., Gilliard, A.C., Tung, J., Dinesh-Kumar, S.P., Whitham, S., Baker, B.J., Ling, K. 2024. N NLR-mediated resistance to tomato brown rugose fruit virus in transgenic tomato and characterization of its temperature sensitivity. Phytopathology. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-114-11-S1.2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-114-11-S1.1

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Recently emerged tobamovirus tomato brown rugose virus (ToBRFV) has substantially damaged the tomato industry in many parts of the world including the U.S. It breaks widely used tomato Tm-22 NLR-mediated resistance leading to the lack of genetic resistance against the pathogen which has driven the global ToBRFV epidemic. However, searching for new sources of genetic resistance proved to be challenging despite several large-scale screening efforts in tomato germplasm. Given the circumstances, it would be beneficial to revisit tobamovirus-resistance genes discovered in the past and evaluate their effectiveness against ToBRFV. The N gene, originally isolated from Nicotiana glutinosa, confers resistance to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tobacco plants. Furthermore, N retained its resistance properties when transferred to tomato plants, providing additional means to combat tobamoviruses in tomatoes. In this study, we screened N transgenic tomato line developed nearly 30 years ago for their resistance to ToBRFV together with N tobacco, Tm-22 tomato and other cultivars with neither gene. Quantitative detection using two independent methods revealed resistance to ToBRFV and TMV in N tomato and tobacco plants, a property that could potentially be utilized to combat ToBRFV. It is worth noting N-containing cultivars only exhibit resistance to ToBRFV and TMV at 22°C but not when elevated to 30°C, suggesting N-mediated resistance is sensitive to temperature change, an intriguing nature worthy of exploration considering the impact of climate change on agricultural production.