Project Number: 1931-21000-017-01
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jan 01, 2005
End Date: Dec 31, 2009

Objective:
To improve the resistance of Prunus species, particularly commercial stone fruits, to plum pox virus through the use of genetically engineered gene silencing and through the investigation of the activity or naturally occurring genes for plum pox virus resistance that have been reported in some Prunus species.

Approach:
The transgene insert in plum pox virus resistant transgenic plum clone C5 will be sequenced through the use of bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) produced from the C5 clone. The insert sequence will be dissected, and portions of the insert will be used in plant model systems to analyze the critical components necessary for resistance. If these components are unique, they will be used to produce new resistant stone fruits. New constructs utilizing hairpin constructs will be transformed into plum, and plum pox virus resistance of these transgenic plants will be evaluated. Gene sequences from Prunus species that appear to code for resistance to plum pox virus will be compared to transgene-derived resistance in terms of the mode of resistance.