Field resistance to Tomato spotted wilt virus in transgenic peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) expressing an antisense nucleocapsid gene sequence

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) lines transgenic for the antisense nucleocapsid (N) gene of a Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) strain isolated from peanut were generated by microprojectile-mediated transformation of repetitive somatic embryos of cultivars VC1 and AT120. The selectable marker (hygromycin resistance) and the N gene were on separate plasmids. A total of 207 VC1 and 120 AT120 hygromycin-resistant lines were produced. Of all the VC1 plants recovered 71% were cotransformed with the N gene (N+), but all plants were sterile. For AT120, 48 of the transgenic cell lines converted into plants. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening showed 15 of the lines were transgenic for the N gene (N+), and two of these lines were fertile. A field test was conducted in 1998 at Ashburn, GA, using seeds from each fertile line, along with segregated and non-transgenic controls. Plants from four randomly selected field plots were examined for symptoms and analyzed by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay and PCR at 10 and 14 weeks after planting. At 14 weeks, 76% of the N+ plants were symptomless, while 2% were severely symptomatic or dead. In contrast, only 42% of the plants lacking the N gene were symptomless and 50% were severely symptomatic or dead. Northern blot analysis of selected field-resistant plants detected transgene RNA, and the transcript level appeared undiminished after viral exposure.