Plant Disease (2015) 99, 1616-1621

Selected publication you are invited to contribute to the discussion section (above tab)

H.E. Simmons, H.R. Prendeville, J.P. Dunham, M.J. Ferrari, J.D. Earnest, D. Pilson, G.P. Munkvold, E.C. Holmes and A.G. Stephenson (2015)
Transgenic virus resistance in crop-wild Cucurbita pepo does not prevent vertical transmission of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus
Plant Disease 99 (11), 1616-1621
Abstract: Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is an economically important pathogen of cucurbits that is transmitted both horizontally and vertically. Although ZYMV is seed-transmitted in Cucurbita pepo, the potential for seed transmission in virus-resistant transgenic cultivars is not known. We crossed and backcrossed a transgenic squash cultivar with wild C. pepo, and determined whether seed-to-seedling transmission of ZYMV was possible in seeds harvested from transgenic backcrossed C. pepo. We then compared these transmission rates to those of non-transgenic (backcrossed and wild) C. pepo. The overall seed-to-seedling transmission rate in ZYMV was similar to those found in previous studies (1.37%), with no significant difference between transgenic backcrossed (2.48%) and non-transgenic (1.03%) backcrossed and wild squash. Fewer transgenic backcrossed plants had symptom development (7%) in comparison with all non-transgenic plants (26%) and may be instrumental in preventing yield reduction due to ZYMV. Our study shows that ZYMV is seed transmitted in transgenic backcrossed squash, which may affect the spread of ZYMV via the movement of ZYMV-infected seeds. Deep genome sequencing of the seed-transmitted viral populations revealed that 23% of the variants found in this study were present in other vertically transmitted ZYMV populations, suggesting that these variants may be necessary for seed transmission or are distributed geographically via seeds.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Database assignments for author(s): Gary P. Munkvold, Andrew G. Stephenson

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Zucchini yellow mosaic virus	Squash/pumpkin (Cucurbita)