Virus-specific spatial differences in the interference with silencing of the chs-A gene in non-transgenic petunia.
Potyviruses, such as potato virus Y and tobacco etch virus, as well as cucumber mosaic cucumovirus, interfere with post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). When RedStar-type Petunia hybrida cultivars, whose flowers have alternating white and pigmented sectors, were infected with these viruses, each virus induced a different pattern of restoration of floral anthocyanin pigmentation. Local reversion to coloured phenotypes in the white sectors, which occurred through interference with PTGS of the chalcone synthase A (chs-A) gene, was correlated with locally increased levels of chs-A mRNA and virus concentration. Our results show that virus infection can interfere with PTGS of a native plant gene, and that this can have profound effects on symptom expression.
Teycheney
Pierre-Yves
PY
Laboratoire de biologie cellulaire, INRA, F-78026 Versailles cedex, France1.
Tepfer
Mark
M
Laboratoire de biologie cellulaire, INRA, F-78026 Versailles cedex, France1.
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D017800:Potyvirus / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019657:Solanaceae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000821:virology; D014026:Nicotiana
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000217:Acyltransferases; C020141:flavanone synthetase