Accumulation of barley stripe mosaic virus is significantly reduced in transgenic wheat plants expressing a bacterial ribonuclease

Authors

Lingyu Zhang, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Roy C. French, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Willem G. Langenberg, USDA-ARS
Amitava Mitra, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

January 2001

Comments

Published in Transgenic Research 10: 13–19, 2001.

Abstract

Anrnc70 gene encoding a mutant bacterial ribonuclease III (RNase III) was introduced into wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Bobwhite) by microprojectile bombardment. T1, T2, and T3 plants regenerated from three transgenic callus lines were challenged with barley stripe mosaic virus. Plants expressing RNase III exhibited a high level of resistance to the virus infection. This resistance was evidenced by the absence of virus symptoms and reduced accumulation of virions in these plants. The result demonstrates that this pathogen-targeted resistance strategy can be effectively employed in conferring resistance to viral diseases of cereal crops.