Ectopic expression of a recessive resistance gene generates dominant potyvirus resistance in plants

Abstract

Despite long-standing plant breeding investments and early successes in genetic engineering, plant viral pathogens still cause major losses in agriculture worldwide.Early transgenic approaches involved the expression of pathogen-derived sequences that provided limited protection against relatively narrow ranges of viral pathotypes. In contrast,this study demonstrates that the ectopic expression of pvr1, a recessive gene from Capsicum chinense, results in dominant broad-spectrum potyvirus resistance in transgenic tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum). The pvr1 locus in pepper encodes the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E. Naturally occurring point mutations at this locus result in monogenic recessive broad-spectrum potyvirus resistance that has been globally deployed via plant breeding programmes for more than 50 years. Transgenic tomato progenies that over-expressed the Capsicum pvr1 allele showed dominant resistance to several tobacco etch virus strains and other potyviruses, including pepper mottle virus, a range of protection similar to that observed in pepper homozygous for the pvr1 allele.