Plant TIM Gene Knockout for Durable Broad-Spectrum Virus Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods lack effective strategies for developing soybean plants resistant to viruses like SMV, as dominant resistance genes are easily broken by pathogen evolution, and there is a need for new resistance mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Downregulating the expression or activity of TIM genes in plants, such as GmTIM in soybeans and NbTIM in Nicotiana benthamiana, through knockout or silencing, to confer broad-spectrum resistance to viruses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dominant resistance genes are used to develop virus-resistant soybean varieties, then resistance to viruses like SMV is achieved, but the resistance is easily broken by pathogen evolution leading to large-scale disease outbreaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the genetic parameter from dominant resistance genes to recessive resistance genes. By using recessive resistance genes (e.g., eif4E, eif4G, eif4E-like genes), the resistance mechanism fundamentally changes how the plant-virus interaction works, making the virus unable to overcome the resistance through simple evolution, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving resistance and maintaining its durability.
2Reliability
If recessive resistance genes are used to develop virus-resistant varieties, then resistance durability is improved, but the complexity of genetic modification and breeding processes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses gene editing technology (such as CRISPR-Cas9) to create precise copies or modifications of specific recessive resistance genes in the plant genome. This allows the complex genetic modification process to be simplified by targeting specific gene sequences rather than dealing with entire genomes, thus reducing the practical complexity while maintaining the durability benefit of recessive resistance.
3Productivity
If chemical agents are used to control SMV diseases, then immediate virus control is achieved, but no safe and effective chemical agents are currently available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes the plant's own genetic resistance mechanisms (recessive resistance genes) to control viruses, rather than relying on external chemical agents. By taking out and activating the plant's intrinsic immune system through gene editing, the solution provides effective disease control without requiring the development or availability of new chemical agents, thus resolving the contradiction between control effectiveness and agent availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an application of a plant TIM protein, a TIM gene encoding the plant TIM protein or a homologous gene of the same in plant resistance to viruses. Further disclosed is a method for obtaining virus-resistant plant, where the method involves downregulating the expression or activity of the plant TIM protein. Further disclosed is a method for identifying whether the plants obtained by the above method has antiviral capability, to determine whether the plant contains TIM protein or TIM genes through identification. The present disclosure introduces a gene editing vector and a gene silencing vector carrying a target gene into target plant using a transgenic method, so as to obtain homozygous plant with GmTIM gene knockout in soybean and plant with down-regulated expression of NbTIM in Nicotiana benthamiana, which are capable of significantly inhibiting viral infection.