Biotech Updates

Molecular Breeding of Virus Resistant White Clover

September 30, 2011

White clover is the most important pasture legume in the Australian dairy industry. It is also a major component in the development of temperate pastures globally. Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) has caused decrease in productivity of while clover pastures in Australia by reducing foliage yield, nutritive value, nitrogen fixing capacity and persistence. Thus, S. Panter of the Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre, Australia, and colleagues developed genetically-engineered white clover plants that express viral coat protein gene encoded by the sub-genomic RNA4 of AMV. The transgenic lines were analyzed at the molecular, biochemical, and phenotypic level under glasshouse and field conditions.

Results showed that the transgenic plants exhibited heritable resistance to AMV. Field resistance to AMV infection, as well as mitotic and meiotic stability of the transgene, were confirmed by phenotypic evaluation of the transgenic plants in two climatically different sites in Australia. Different generations of the transgenic plants exhibited immunity to AMV. A biochemical study revealed that the transgenic plants and their non-transgenic parents are similar in terms of key nutritional parameters and natural toxicants.

The research article is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/t111673637656074/fulltext.pdf.