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Title: FIELD TEST RESULTS OF TRANSGENIC TOMATO PLANTS EXPRESSING VIRAL SATELLITES FOR RESISTANCE TO CUCUMBER MOSAIC VIRUS

Author
item Stommel, John
item Tousignant, Marie
item WAI, THANDA - MOLECULAR PLANT PATH LAB
item PACINI, RITA - MOLECULAR PLANT PATH LAB
item KAPER, JACOBUS - MOLECULAR PLANT PATH LAB

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a pathogen causing disease in a wide variety of economically important vegetable crops. Two transformants of the processing type tomato 'UC82B' & one transformant of the fresh market tomato 'Lichun' which expressed a CMV associated satellite RNA were tested under growing conditions in the field for resistance to CMV. This CMV satellite termed CARNA 5, is a linear RNA moiety dependent on the viral genome for its replication. Different forms of the satellite exist which either reduce or intensify symptoms of CMV. Reduced CMV symptomology mediated by ameliorative forms of the satellite is associated with reduced viral RNA & infectious particles. Tomato plants in the trial were infected with CMV to simulate disease epidemic conditions. Infected transgenic plants exhibited mild but transient foliar CMV symptoms & low viral titers relative to nontransformed parental lines which exhibited mild to severe foliar chlorosis, leaf distortion, stunting & higher viral titers. Yield of CMV infected transgenic plants from the lines evaluated was 25% to 130% greater than that of nontransformed parental lines infected with CMV. The research will benefit crop producers & researchers develop virus resistant plants.

Technical Abstract: Field tests were conducted in 1994 and 1995 to evaluate cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) resistance and yield of satellite transgenic tomatoes developed for resistance to CMV. These trials included two transformants of the processing type tomato 'UC82B' and one transformant of the fresh market tomato 'Lichun' which expressed an ameliorative CMV associated satellite RNA termed CARNA 5. Plants were infected with CMV to simulate disease epidemic conditions. Infected transgenic plants exhibited mild but transient CMV foliar symptoms and low viral titers. Nontransformed parental lines displayed mild to severe foliar chlorosis, shoestring leaves, stunting, and higher viral titers relative to satellite protected plants. Yield of CMV infected satellite transgenic plants from the respective lines was 25% to 130% greater than that of nontransformed parental lines infected with CMV. Yield of mock inoculated plants ranged from 10% greater than to 30% less than respective mock inoculated parental lines. CMV and CARNA 5 were detected in 5% of control plants which bordered test plants. Dissemination of CMV or satellite was not detected beyond the test plot boundaries.