Inserting the nucleoprotein gene of tomato spotted wilt virus in different plant species, and screening for virus resistance

The number of viruses that can infect plants is very high and increases every day, but fortunately only a few are really important pests. Among these is the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), which is a member of the genus Tospovirus. There are two main reasons for its success over the past two decades. First, the prevalence of its vectors; TSWV is transmitted mainly by the Western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis, which has increased its area of distribution and is itself a pest. Second, the virus can infect several hundred plant species belonging to both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous families. TSWV is found in most countries with a temperate or subtropical climate in both hemispheres. N gene-mediated resistance against TSWV operates both in laboratory models and in economically important plants, and results obtained in laboratory plants such as tobacco and N. benthamiana can probably be extended to many species, provided a sufficiently high number of transformants are obtained and analyzed.