Coat protein transgenic papaya: "acquired" immunity for controlling papaya ringspot virus

Generation of Mild Recombinants of Papaya Ringspot Virus to Minimize the Problem of Strain-Specific Cross-Protection

Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) causes severe damage to papaya (Carica papaya L.) and is the primary limiting factor for papaya production worldwide. A nitrous acid-induced mild strain, PRSV HA 5-1, derived from Hawaii strain HA, has been applied to control PRSV by cross-protection for decades. However, the problem of strain-specific protection hampers its application in Taiwan and other geographic regions outside Hawaii. Here, sequence comparison of the genomic sequence of HA 5-1 with that of HA revealed 69 nucleotide changes, resulting in 31 aa changes, of which 16 aa are structurally different. The multiple mutations of HA 5-1 are considered to result from nitrous acid induction because 86% of nucleotide changes are transition mutations. The stable HA 5-1 was used as a backbone to generate recombinants carrying individual 3' fragments of Vietnam severe strain TG5, including NIa, NIb, and CP3' regions, individually or in combination. Our results indicated that the best heterologous fragment for the recombinant is the region of CP3', with which symptom attenuation of the recombinant is like that of HA 5-1. This mild recombinant HA51/TG5-CP3' retained high levels of protection against the homologous HA in papaya plants and significantly increased the protection against the heterologous TG-5. Similarly, HA 5-1 recombinants carrying individual CP3' fragments from Thailand SMK, Taiwan YK, and Vietnam ST2 severe strains also significantly increase protection against the corresponding heterologous strains in papaya plants. Thus, our recombinant approach for mild strain generation is a fast and effective way to minimize the problem of strain-specific protection.

CRISPR-Cas-Led Revolution in Diagnosis and Management of Emerging Plant Viruses: New Avenues Toward Food and Nutritional Security

Plant viruses pose a serious threat to agricultural production systems worldwide. The world's population is expected to reach the 10-billion mark by 2057. Under the scenario of declining cultivable land and challenges posed by rapidly emerging and re-emerging plant pathogens, conventional strategies could not accomplish the target of keeping pace with increasing global food demand. Gene-editing techniques have recently come up as promising options to enable precise changes in genomes with greater efficiency to achieve the target of higher crop productivity. Of genome engineering tools, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins have gained much popularity, owing to their simplicity, reproducibility, and applicability in a wide range of species. Also, the application of different Cas proteins, such as Cas12a, Cas13a, and Cas9 nucleases, has enabled the development of more robust strategies for the engineering of antiviral mechanisms in many plant species. Recent studies have revealed the use of various CRISPR-Cas systems to either directly target a viral gene or modify a host genome to develop viral resistance in plants. This review provides a comprehensive record of the use of the CRISPR-Cas system in the development of antiviral resistance in plants and discusses its applications in the overall enhancement of productivity and nutritional landscape of cultivated plant species. Furthermore, the utility of this technique for the detection of various plant viruses could enable affordable and precise in-field or on-site detection. The futuristic potential of CRISPR-Cas technologies and possible challenges with their use and application are highlighted. Finally, the future of CRISPR-Cas in sustainable management of viral diseases, and its practical utility and regulatory guidelines in different parts of the globe are discussed systematically.

Complete Genome Sequence of Papaya Ringspot Virus Isolated from Genetically Modified Papaya in Hainan Island, China

The complete genome sequence (10,326 nucleotides) of a papaya ringspot virus isolate infecting genetically modified papaya in Hainan Island of China was determined through reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. The virus shares 92% nucleotide sequence identity with the isolate that is unable to infect PRSV-resistant transgenic papaya.

Nucleotide sequence-homology-independent breakdown of transgenic resistance by more virulent virus strains and a potential solution

Controlling plant viruses by genetic engineering, including the globally important Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), mainly involves coat protein (CP) gene mediated resistance via post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). However, the breakdown of single- or double-virus resistance in CP-gene-transgenic papaya by more virulent PRSV strains has been noted in repeated field trials. Recombination analysis revealed that the gene silencing suppressor HC-Pro or CP of the virulent PRSV strain 5-19 is responsible for overcoming CP-transgenic resistance in a sequence-homology-independent manner. Transient expression assays using agro-infiltration in Nicotiana benthamiana plants indicated that 5-19 HC-Pro exhibits stronger PTGS suppression than the transgene donor strain. To disarm the suppressor from the virulent strain, transgenic papaya lines were generated carrying untranslatable 5-19 HC-Pro, which conferred complete resistance to 5-19 and other geographic PRSV strains. Our study suggested the potential risk of the emergence of more virulent virus strains, spurred by the deployment of CP-gene-transgenic crops, and provides a strategy to combat such strains.