Association of the IVR Gene with Virus Localization and Resistance
Authors: Loebenstein Gad , Dawson William , Gera Abed 
Published: January 2022

We have reported that localization of TMV in tobacco cultivars with the N gene, is associated with a 23 K protein (IVR) that inhibited replication of several plant viruses. This protein was also found in induced resistant tissue of Nicotiana glutinosa x Nicotiana debneyi. During the present grant we found that TMV production is enhanced in protoplasts and plants of local lesion responding tobacco cultivars exposed to 35oC, parallel to an almost complete suppression of the production of IVR. We also found that IVR is associated with resistance mechanisms in pepper cultivars. We succeeded to clone the IVR gene. In the first attempt we isolated a clone - "101" which had a specific insert of 372 bp (the full length gene for the IVR protein of 23 kD should be around 700 bp). However, attempts to isolate the full length gene did not give clear cut results, and we decided not to continue with this clone. The amino acid sequence of the N-terminus of IVR was determined and an antiserum was prepared against a synthetic peptide representing amino acids residues 1-20 of IVR. Using this antiserum as well as our polyclonal antiserum to IVR a new clone NC-330 was isolated using lamba-ZAP library. This NC-330 clone has an insert of about 1 kB with an open reading frame of 596 bp. This clone had 86.6% homology with the first 15 amino acids of the N-terminal part of IVR and 61.6% homology with the first 23 amino acids of IVR. In the QIA expression system and western blotting of the expressed protein, a clear band of about 21 kD was obtained with IVR antiserum. This clone was used for transformation of Samsun tobacco plants and we have presently plantlets which were rooted on medium containing kanamycin. Hybridization with this clone was also obtained with RNA from induced resistant tissue of Samsun NN but not with RNA from healthy control tissue of Samsun NN, or infected or healthy tissue of Samsun. This further strengthens the previous data that the NC 330 clone codes for IVR. In the U.S. it was shown that IVR is induced in plants containing the N' gene when infected with mutants of TMV that elicit the HR. This is a defined system in which the elicitor is known to be due to permutations of the coat protein which can vary in elicitor strength. The objective was to understand how IVR synthesis is induced after recognition of elicitor coat protein in the signal transduction pathway that leads to HR. We developed systems to manipulate induction of IVR by modifying the elicitor and are using these elicitor molecules to isolate the corresponding plant receptor molecules. A "far-western" procedure was developed that found a protein from N' plants that specifically bind to elicitor coat proteins. This protein is being purified and sequenced. This objective has not been completed and is still in progress. We have reported that localization of TMV in tobacco cultivars with the N gene, is associated with a 23 K protein (IVR) that inhibited replication of several plant viruses. This protein was also found in induced resistant tissue of Nicotiana glutinosa x Nicotiana debneyi.