Journal of Insect Science (2007) 7 (28), 18-19

F.A. Lovato, T. Nagata, A.C. Ávila, R.O. Resende and A.K. Inoue-Nagata (2007)
The N protein of Tomato spotted wilt virus: the putative elicitor of a hypersensitive response (HR) in Capsicum chinense
Journal of Insect Science 7 (28), 18-19
VIII International Symposium on Thysanoptera and Tospoviruses, September 11-15, 2005, Asilomar, Pacific Grove, California, U.S.A.
Abstract: Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) causes a serious disease in plants worldwide. The three genomic RNA's of TSWV encode three structural proteins (L, G1/G2 and N) and two non-structural proteins (NS_M and NS_S). Reaction to TSWV inoculation resembling the hypersensitive response (HR) has been previously reported in Capsicum chinense 'PI152225' and 'PI159236'. The aim of this study was to identify the TSWV elicitor(s) protein(s) related to this HR-like response in C. chinense. For this purpose, the N, NS_M and NS_S genes of TSWV were cloned into the binary vector pgR107, based on Potato virus X (PVX) expression system via agroinoculation. Recombinant agrobacterium colonies transformed with the N, NS_M and NS_S gene constructs were inoculated into C. chinense 'PI159236'. After 10-15 days, typical symptoms of PVX appeared in the upper leaves of plants inoculated with the constructions PVX+N, PVX+NS_M and PVX+NS_S. ELISA and Western blot confirmed the N, NS_M and NS_S protein expression in inoculated plants. HR-like necrotic lesions were seen only in 'PI159236' infected with the construct PVX+N. The symptomatic leaves showed typical leaf abscission after 30-35 days. This result indicated that the N gene of TSWV is possibly the elicitor of the HR-like response in C. chinense. In addition, leaves of C. chinense, D. stramonium and N. benthamiana inoculated with the construction PVX+NS_S showed severe necrotic symptoms, suggesting an increase of PVX symptom expression caused by a possible synergism of PVX with the NS_S protein. Financial Support: CNPq, Embrapa, UnB, FINATEC.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Alice Kazuko Inoue-Nagata, Tatsuya Nagata, Fernanda Lovato

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae	Green pepper/chilli (Capsicum)