The molecular and biological characterisation of ORF5 of three South African variants of Grapevine Vitivirus A

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorBurger, J. T.en_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorStephan, D.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBlignaut, Margueriteen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Genetics.
dc.date.accessioned2009-03-02T09:50:14Zen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2010-06-01T08:48:24Z
dc.date.available2009-03-02T09:50:14Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2010-06-01T08:48:24Z
dc.date.issued2009-03en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (MSc (Genetics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
dc.description.abstractGrapevine Vitivirus A (GVA), genus Vitivirus, family Flexiviridae is a well characterised single-stranded RNA virus that has been implicated in the grapevine diseases, Kober stem grooving and Shiraz disease. The virus infects both its host, Vitis vinifera and the experimental model plant, Nicotiana spp.. Biological studies performed on the virus in its herbaceous host, Nicotiana benthami- ana, revealed that many divergent variants of the virus exists in South Africa and can induce di erent symptoms in the model plant. Further molecular analysis divided the variants into three molecular groups based on molecular heterogeneity and nucleotide identity. The establishment of an infectious full-length cDNA clone of GVA contributed towards the elucidation of gene functions for 4 of the 5 open reading frames (ORF's), and indicated ORF5 as the pathogenicity determinant within the genome. Further studies also showed that ORF5 encodes for a nucleic acid binding protein that exhibits suppression activity of a plants' natural virus silencing mechanism. Many proteins that have previously been identi ed as the pathogenicity determinant within a viral genome have been found to encode for suppression activity. Although suppression activity has been elucidated within the ORF5 of the Italian cDNA clone of GVA, IS 151, no such study has yet been performed on the divergent South African variants of GVA. Three variants, GTR1-1, GTR1- 2 and GTG11-1, which represent each of the molecular groups (Group III, II and I), were selected for this study. The aim of this study was to visually elucidate suppression activity of RNA transgene silencing by the ORF5's of GTR1-1, GTR1-2 and GTG11-1 in a transient expression assays in transgenic N. benthamiana (line 16c). Pathogenicity studies for these variants were also performed. The ORF5 of the infectious full-length clone, GVA118, which can also serve as an expression vector, was deleted and provided with restriction enzyme sites into which the respective ORF5s and the marker genes, GFP and GUS could be cloned directionally. Infectivity, symptom development and systemic movement were compared between the di erent full length clones after co-in ltration in N. benthamiana. Preliminary results obtained in this study failed to visually indicate any suppression activity encoded by the ORF5 of GTR1-1, GTR1-2 and GTG11-1. The deletion of ORF5 within GVA118 was successful and rendered the infectious full length clone asymptomatic. Directional cloning of the ORF5 of GTR1-1 into the unique restriction enzymes provided previously, resulted in much milder symptoms than those observe for GTR1-2 and GTG11-1. No GFP and GUS accumulation could be detected. This study has established an infectious full-length cDNA clone, pBINSN-e35SGVA118 ORF5-1-1-pA, that can possibly induce much milder symptoms in the herbaceous host, N. benthamiana. This construct can be further characterised as a possible expression vector of foreign proteins in herbaceous hosts and grapevine.en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2421
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
dc.rights.holderUniversity of Stellenbosch
dc.subjectPathogenicityen_ZA
dc.subjectDissertations -- Geneticsen
dc.subjectTheses -- Geneticsen
dc.subjectGrapes -- Diseases and pests -- Genetic aspectsen
dc.subjectVirus diseases of plantsen
dc.titleThe molecular and biological characterisation of ORF5 of three South African variants of Grapevine Vitivirus Aen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
blignaut_molecular_2009.pdf
Size:
6.8 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters Degrees (Genetics)