Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Media Release
Tobacco plants affected bythe virus and resistant to it.(Carl Davies CSIRO)
“Pinpointing this gene
represents a major step
forward in understanding
exactly how some viruses
cause disease symptoms
in susceptible organisms”
Dr Ming-Bo Wange,
CSIRO
Major breakthrough on howviruses infect plants
Reference: 11/57
CSIRO plant scientists have shed light on a
problem that has puzzled researchers since the
first virus was discovered in 1892 – how exactly
do they cause disease?
14 July 2011
In a major breakthrough that helps us better understand
how viruses cause diseases in plants – and potentially in
animals and humans – Dr Ming-Bo Wang and Neil Smith
of CSIRO Plant Industry have revealed a genetic mechanism that enables viral
organisms to infect hosts and cause diseases.
“Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) is a common, destructive virus that affects a wide range
of food crops and ornamental plants,” Dr Wang said.
“What we found was that CMV, accompanied by a special type of viral particle called a
‘satellite’, causes its distinctive yellowing symptoms in plants by slicing a gene that
makes chlorophyll, the green pigment in leaves. By preventing the production of
chlorophyll, the virus causes the leaves to become partially or entirely yellowed which
dramatically affects growth and productivity.”
Importantly, Dr Wang and Mr Smith determined the exact gene affected by this virus –
a gene called CHL1.
“Pinpointing this gene represents a major step
forward in understanding exactly how some
viruses cause disease symptoms in susceptible
organisms,” Dr Wang said.
Until recently, scientists did not fully understand
why viruses only affected a small range of host
organisms. This discovery shows that the
accompanying satellite gene of CMV must directly
match the host plant’s genes to cause the
yellowing disease.
When the viral satellite’s genes match the host plant’s genes, the satellite genes ‘lock’
onto and slice the host’s genes, preventing the host from forming green chlorophyll
pigment.
“Think of it as like doing up a zipper on your jacket – two opposing but different
sections have to come together for it to work,” Dr Wang said.
“So one half of the ‘zipper’ genes come from the virus and the other half of the genes
from the host, and when they match up the virus causes disease.”
This finding means researchers can focus on finding genes in viruses that match known
genetic sequences in plants, and this can help to reveal the cause of diseases by other
viruses.
Knowing how CMV causes symptoms, Dr Wang and Mr Smith also experimented to see
if they could block the viral disease in plants. They created specially altered plants with
an extra copy of the chlorophyll-producing gene. This gene had been changed so that it
no longer matched the viral gene, allowing the plants to produce the green chlorophyll
Media Resources
Images and audio available at: Major
breakthrough on how viruses infect
plants
Background information available at:
Fighting disease, pests and weeds
Sound grab of CSIRO Plant Industryscientist, Dr Ming-Bo Wang.
Quote one
Options: Download (mp3)
Sound grab of CSIRO Plant Industryscientist, Dr Ming-Bo Wang.
Quote two
Options: Download (mp3)
Sound grab of CSIRO Plant Industryscientist, Neil Smith
Quote one
Options: Download (mp3)
Sound grab of CSIRO Plant Industryscientist, Neil Smith
Quote two
Options: Download (mp3)
Contact Information
Science Contact
Dr Ming-Bo Wang
Senior Research Scientist
Plant Industry
Phone: 61 2 6246 5197
Email: [email protected]
Media Contact
Ms Ilaria Catizone (MSc)
Communication Officer
Plant Industry
Phone: 61 2 6246 5485
Alt Phone: 61 4 1765 4633
SearchExplore CSIRO Partner Media Events Education Publications Careers Contact
Home > Media
Major breakthrough on how viruses infect plants (Media Release) http://www.csiro.au/news/How-viruses-infect-plants.html
1 of 2 8/25/2011 11:55 PM
pigment.
Remarkably, this small change in genetic makeup prevented the plants from becoming
yellow and diseased but did not change any other aspects of the plants’ growth, habit
or form.
This research was funded by CSIRO and the Australian Research Council (ARC) and will
be presented at the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne, 23-30 July 2011.
Former CSIRO Plant Industry researcher Dr Andrew Eamen also contributed to these
findings.
Read more media releases in our Media section.
Share this CSIRO content using:
Digg Delicious StumbleUpon Facebook Twitter
Reddit Propeller Newsvine Email What are these?
Fax: 61 2 6246 5299
Email: [email protected]
Related Links
Media
CSIRO Plant Industry
Dr Ming-Bo Wang: researching RNA
silencing in gene control and disease
resistance
Site Map | Legal Notice and Disclaimer | Privacy | Copyright | Last updated: 14 July 2011
Major breakthrough on how viruses infect plants (Media Release) http://www.csiro.au/news/How-viruses-infect-plants.html
2 of 2 8/25/2011 11:55 PM
