Abstract
A flue-cured tobacco variety (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wisconsin) was used for Plant transformation with the complementary DNA (cDNA) of potato virus Y-necrosis strain (PVY-VN) replicase gone (Nb) which was synthesized through reverse-transcription Primed with oligo(dT) and Polymerization using RNase H-digested template. The cDNA was cloned into Plant expression vector Plasmid (PMBP2), and introduced into tobacco plants by co-culturing tobacco leaf disks with Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 containing the plasmid before Plant regeneration. Eight Plants, in which the inserted cDNA fragment was detected by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), out of 70 putative transformants inserted with sense-oriented Mb cDNA showed no symptom at 3 weeks after inoculation, while the other 62 plants, and all plants with vector gone only and antisense-oriented NIb cDNA had susceptible vein-necrosis symptoms. However, only 2 of the 8 resistant plants were highly resistant, which remained symptomless up to 10 weeks after inoculation. Among the first progenies (T1) from self-fertilized seeds of the two resistant transgenic plants, less than 10 % of 71 plants appeared highly resistant (with no symptom), 70% moderately resistant (with mild symptoms on 1 - 2 leaves), and about 20% susceptible (with susceptible symptoms on 3 or more leaves) at 3 weeks after inoculation. These results suggest that the PVY resistance was inherited in the 71 generation. Key words : potato virus Y. viral replicase gene, transgenic tobacco Plants, resistance.
