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Field Resistance of Coat Protein Transgenic Papaya to Papaya ringspot virus in Jamaica

August 2005 , Volume 89 , Number  8
Pages  841 - 847

Paula Tennant , Biotechnology Center and Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica ; M. H. Ahmad , Biotechnology Center, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica ; and D. Gonsalves , Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456



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Accepted for publication 4 April 2005.
ABSTRACT

Transgenic papayas (Carica papaya) containing translatable coat protein (CPT) or nontranslatable coat protein (CPNT) gene constructs were evaluated over two generations for field resistance to Papaya ringspot virus in a commercial papaya growing area in Jamaica. Reactions of R0 CPT transgenic lines included no symptoms and mild or severe leaf and fruit symptoms. All three reactions were observed in one line and among different lines. Trees of most CPNT lines exhibited severe symptoms of infection, and some also showed mild symptoms. R1 offspring showed reactions previously observed with parental R0 trees; however, reactions not previously observed or a lower incidence of the reaction were also obtained. The transgenic lines appear to possess virus disease resistance that can be manipulated in subsequent generations for the development of a product with acceptable commercial performance.


Additional keywords: horticultural evaluation, transgenic resistance

© 2005 The American Phytopathological Society