Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Plant Gene Expression Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #388728
Research Project: Disease Resistance Gene Regulation through RNA Silencing for Improved Crop Protection

Location: Plant Gene Expression Center

Title: Polycistronic artificial microRNA-mediated resistance to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus in cucumber

Author
item MIAO, SHUO - China Agricultural University
item LIANG, CHAOQIONG - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item LI, JIANQIANG - China Agricultural University
item Baker, Barbara
item LUO, LAIXIN - China Agricultural University

Submitted to: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2021
Publication Date: 11/12/2021
Citation: Miao, S., Liang, C., Li, J., Baker, B.J., Luo, L. 2021. Polycistronic artificial microRNA-mediated resistance to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus in cucumber. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 22(22). Article 12237. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222212237.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222212237

Interpretive Summary: Cucumber resistance to cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) by artificial microRNAs targeting conserved virus sequences. CGMMV causes severe disease in economically and nutritionally important cucurbit crops including cucumber, melon and squash. CGMMV spreads rapidly and widely through contaminated cucurbit seed and is major challenge especially to breeders and growers of cucumber. Resources for natural resistance against CGMMV are limited and therefore effective, and environmentally safe approaches are needed for increased cucumber defense against CGMMV disease. We developed artificial microRNA (amiRNA) technology to protect cucumber plants from CGMMV disease. Our experiments reveal that amiRNA technology can control seed borne CGMMV disease spread.

Technical Abstract: Resistance to Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus is mediated by polycistronic artificial microRNA in cucumber. Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) causes extensive loss in cucurbit crops, which are an important source of nutrients in the human diet. Environmentally safe approaches for cucurbit resistance to CGMMV are needed, however genetic sources for resistance to CGMMV are limited. RNA interference-based artificial microRNA (amiRNA) technologies have been described for use in other crop-virus systems but have not been applied to curb CGMMV infection and control disease in cucurbits. We designed amiRNAs against conserved coding regions identified among 25 strains CGMMV. We identified anti CGMMV amiRNAs using rapid Nicotiana benthamiana-based assay system and developed a rapid cucumber system to validate amiRNAs that effectively block the accumulation of CGMMV. We showed that infected cucumber plants transgenic polycistronic amiRNA had significantly lower levels of CGMMV and reduced virus disease symptoms, demonstrating that that polycistronic amiRNA technology can be used to develop effective immunity against CGMMV in cucurbits.