title: Engineering cherry rootstocks with resistance to Prunus necrotic ring spot virus through RNAi-mediated silencing.
abstract: Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) is a major pollen-disseminated ilarvirus that adversely affects many Prunus species. In this study, an RNA interference (RNAi) vector pART27-PNRSV containing an inverted repeat (IR) region of PNRSV was transformed into two hybrid (triploid) cherry rootstocks, 'Gisela 6' (GI 148-1) and 'Gisela 7'(GI 148-8)', which are tolerant and sensitive, respectively, to PNRSV infection. One year after inoculation with PNRSV plus Prune Dwarf Virus, nontransgenic 'Gisela 6' exhibited no symptoms but a significant PNRSV titre, while the transgenic 'Gisela 6' had no symptoms and minimal PNRSV titre. The nontransgenic 'Gisela 7' trees died, while the transgenic 'Gisela 7' trees survived. These results demonstrate the RNAi strategy is useful for developing viral resistance in fruit rootstocks, and such transgenic rootstocks may have potential to enhance production of standard, nongenetically modified fruit varieties while avoiding concerns about transgene flow and exogenous protein production that are inherent for transformed fruiting genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. songg@msu.edu
authors.forename: Guo-qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Sink
authors.forename: Aaron E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Walworth
authors.forename: Meridith A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D019179:Ilarvirus / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D027861:Prunus / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012038:Regeneration; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C036483:T-DNA
keywords: Prunus avium L; Prunus cerasus L; genetic engineering; interfering RNAs (RNAi); transformation; transgenic plant; woody plant breeding