Turnip mosaic virus determinants of virulence for Brassica napus resistance genes
Dominant resistance genes identified in Brassica napus lines are effective against some, but not all, Turnip mosaic virus<br />(TuMV) isolates. An infectious clone of an isolate (UK 1) was used as the basis of chimeric virus constructions using<br />resistance-breaking mutants and other isolates to identify the virulence determinants for three dominant resistance genes.<br />For the resistance gene TuRB01, the presence of either of two mutations affecting the cylindrical inclusion (CI) protein<br />converted the avirulent UK 1 to a virulent isolate. Acquisition of such mutations had a slight cost to viral fitness in<br />plants lacking the resistance gene. A similar strategy is being used to identify the virulence determinants for two more<br />resistance genes present in another B. napus line.