GENE TRANSFER METHODS FOR THE PATHOGEN-MEDIATED RESISTANCE BREEDING IN FRUIT TREES

We have developed different systems involving juvenile and adult plant material allowing the transfer of foreign genes into apricot and plum cultivars.
We report the transformation and regeneration of Prunus armeniaca and Prunus domestica plants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 containing various binary plasmids, pBinGUSint, carrying the marker gene -glucuronidase (GUS) and pBinPPVm, carrying the coat protein gene of Plum Pox Virus (PPV), the causal agent of Sharka disease.
The marker gene GUS was used for the optical evaluation of the efficiency of different transformation systems involving cotyledons of immature embryos as well as somatic embryos and leaf discs.
The coat protein gene of PPV was used to introduce the coat protein mediated resistance against one of the most important pathogens of stone fruit trees in Europe and the whole Mediterranean area.

Transgenic plants of Prunus armeniaca containing the coat protein gene of PPV, were regenerated on selection media containing kanamycin and tested for the expression of the PPV-coat protein gene by ELISA and immuno western blot.
After rooting and acclimatization plants were challenge infected through grafting to assay the protection against PPV by observation of symptom development and virus accumulation.

Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops by Biotechnology

A. da Câmara Machado, E. Knapp, H. Pühringer, G. Seifert, V. Hanzer, H. Weiss, Q. Wang, H. Katinger, M. Laimer da Câmara Machado

Coat protein-mediated protection, Plum Pox Virus, Transformation, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus domestica

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.392.23