title: 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 targeting a virion-sense gene. The relatively conserved nature of the gene suggests that the technology may be useful to develop broad-spectrum resistance which is required because of the fact that plants are often infected with multiple begomoviruses in the field.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), P O Box 577, Jhang Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan. mubin447@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mubin
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mansoor
authors.forename: Mazhar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zafar
mesh_terms: D053839:Begomovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000821:virology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000821:virology*; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D014764:Viral Proteins