[The viral resistance of transgenic tobacco plants containing untranslatable PVYN coat protein gene]

Abstract

In previous study, we have proved that the resistance of the transgenic tobacco plants containing untranslatable PVYN CP gene was mediated by PVYN CP transgene RNAs, and the resistance mechanism was similar to PTGS. In this paper, T0 progeny transgenic lines with different resistant levels were selected to further study the transgene inheritance and resistant stability of transgenic plants. Results showed that T0 progeny susceptible lines, which contained 1-2 transgene copies, displayed a 3:1 segregation ratio in T1 progeny lines; T0 progeny middle resistant lines, which contained 3-4 transgene copies, revealed a 15:1 segergation ratio in T1 progeny lines; T0 progeny highly resistant lines, which contained 5-7 transgene copies, followed 15:1 or 63:1 segregation pattern in T1 progeny lines. Southern blot analysis revealed the resistance in most T1 and T2 progeny transgenic lines was related to copy numbers of the transgene. Northern blot analysis indicated that PVYN CP transgenes were expressed at transcription level in most T1 and T2 progeny transgenic lines, and the transgene mRNA accumulation in cytoplasm varied among transgenic lines. There was an inverse correlation between transgene transcript accumulation and virus resistance. Resistance of transgenic lines was inheritable over at least two generations, and the resistance of T2 progeny transgenic lines, which containing untranslatable PVYN CP gene, was (1) not overcome by PVYN particle or PVYN RNA; (2) independent of inoculum levels; (3) resistant to either aphid or mechanically transmitted PVYN; (4) not dependent on plant development stages; (5) PVY-specific (i.e., broad-spectrum resistance was not observed).