Articles
SILENCING IN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PRUNUS DOMESTICA PROVIDES DURABLE AND SAFE RESISTANCE TO PLUM POX VIRUS (SHARKA DISEASE)
Article number
839_52
Pages
397 – 402
Language
English
Abstract
Originally identified in Bulgaria in 1915, Plum pox virus (PPV) is the most damaging virus of stone fruit trees, including apricot, plum, peach and cherry.
PPV steadily spread throughout Europe over the years since its discovery and at the turn of the century (1999-2000) it reached North America (USA and Canada). While many strategies to control the spread of PPV have been undertaken over the decades and many studies have contributed to the characterization of the virus isolates there has been relatively little progress in the development of resistant varieties.
With the paucity of natural resistance, transgenic technology, based on the engineering of the virus capsid gene, was investigated as a useful source of resistance.
This work identified the C5 plum clone as highly resistant to PPV infection.
These findings were supported by detailed molecular studies indicating that post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is the resistance mechanism with resistance being mediated through the production of small interfering RNA (siRNA). The durability of PPV resistance in C5 (named HoneySweet) is reflected through more than 10 years of field tests.
In total, over 15 years of research with HoneySweet have demonstrated that this clone and the resistance mechanism that it represents is: i) an important tool to demonstrate the successful deployment of biotechnology against a quarantine pest; ii) a safe product of biotechnology; and iii) a useful strategy for avoiding the use of pesticides to control natural aphid vectors of PPV. The deregulation of HoneySweet in the USA by USDA/APHIS (Federal Register Doc.
E7-13649, July 12 2007) and clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) corroborate these findings.
PPV steadily spread throughout Europe over the years since its discovery and at the turn of the century (1999-2000) it reached North America (USA and Canada). While many strategies to control the spread of PPV have been undertaken over the decades and many studies have contributed to the characterization of the virus isolates there has been relatively little progress in the development of resistant varieties.
With the paucity of natural resistance, transgenic technology, based on the engineering of the virus capsid gene, was investigated as a useful source of resistance.
This work identified the C5 plum clone as highly resistant to PPV infection.
These findings were supported by detailed molecular studies indicating that post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is the resistance mechanism with resistance being mediated through the production of small interfering RNA (siRNA). The durability of PPV resistance in C5 (named HoneySweet) is reflected through more than 10 years of field tests.
In total, over 15 years of research with HoneySweet have demonstrated that this clone and the resistance mechanism that it represents is: i) an important tool to demonstrate the successful deployment of biotechnology against a quarantine pest; ii) a safe product of biotechnology; and iii) a useful strategy for avoiding the use of pesticides to control natural aphid vectors of PPV. The deregulation of HoneySweet in the USA by USDA/APHIS (Federal Register Doc.
E7-13649, July 12 2007) and clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) corroborate these findings.
Authors
M. Ravelonandro, R. Scorza
Keywords
siRNA, environmental safety, Biosafety, virus vectors, GMO, GE plants
Online Articles (99)