ISHS Acta Horticulturae 235: XIV International Symposium on Fruit Tree Virus Diseases
EXPRESSION OF THE PLUM POX VIRUS COAT PROTEIN REGION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI |
| Authors: | D. Mattanovich, G. Himmler, M. Laimer, A. da Camara Machado, V. Hanzer, F. Regner, H. Katinger |
| Abstract:
Breeding of virus resistant plants is a crucial measure for controlling virus diseases. Recently, several attempts have been made to introduce virus resistance into plants by means of genetic engineering techniques. Out of these, transfer of the viral coat protein gene to induce an effect similar to cross-protection (Powell Abel et al., 1986) is worked out best at the moment. We have chosen plum pox virus (PPV) as a model, as it has high economical importance. The coat protein region of PPV was assumed to be encoded at the 3' end of the viral genome as known for other potyviruses. To prove this, we have subcloned a 3' distal cDNA-fragment of 1157 bp length derived from the PPV cDNA-clone pPPV-NAT 65 (Maiss et al., 1988) which was kindly provided by Dr. R. Casper, Braunschweig, FRG, into an E. coli expression vector. The recombinant bacteria produce a protein of the correct size (37 kDa) which reacts with PPV-specific antisera. Therefore we conclude that this fragment contains the viral coat protein gene. Subsequently the PPV coat protein region was set under control of the CaMV 35s promoter and introduced into an Agrobacterium tumefaciens binary vector. Plant regeneration systems for fruit trees which are essential for any work aimed at homogenously transformed plants are described by Laimer et al. (1988). Transformation of stone fruit trees and Nicotiana clevelandii as herbaceous host of PPV is presently underway in our laboratory. | |
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