ENGINEERING RESISTANCE AGAINST TOMATO YELLOW LEAF CURL VIRUS (TYLCV) USING ANTISENSE RNA

One of the most severe diseases of cultivated tomato worldwide is caus ed by tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a geminivirus transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Here we describe the application of a ntisense RNAs to interfere with the disease caused by TYLCV. The targe t of the antisense RNA is the rare messenger RNA of the Rep protein, e ncoded by the C1 gene. Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants express ing C1 antisense RNA were obtained and shown to resist infection by TY LCV. Some of the resistant lines are symptomless, and the replication of challenge TYLCV almost completely suppressed. The transgenes mediat ing resistance were shown to be effective through at least two generat ions of progeny.