METHOD FOR GENERATING RESISTANCE AGAINST CGMMV IN PLANTS, GENETIC CONSTRUCTS FOR USE IN SAID METHOD, AND CGMMV-RESISTANT PLANTS OBTAINED VIA SAID METHOD

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for generating resistance against Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) in plants, in particular in plants susceptible to infection by CGMMV, such as Cucurbitaceae species, including melon, cucumber, watermelon and bottlegourd. In the invention, the plants are provided with replicase-mediated resistance against CGMMV. For this purpose, the plants are transformed with a polynucleotide sequence that: i) has been derived from the 129 kD sequence, the 57 kD sequence, or the 186 kD readthrough sequence of native CGMMV; ii) upon (at least) transformation into the plant and transcription into RNA - and usually also translation into the corresponding encoded protein - can provide the plant with resistance against CGMMV; but iii) does not encode any replicase activity. In particular, this will be a nucleotide sequence that encodes a defective variant of the replicase of CGMMV. The invention further relates to genetic constructs containing such a polynucleotide sequence suitable for use in the above method, and to CGMMV-resistant transgenic plants obtained via said method.