VIRUS-RESISTANCE IN TRANSGENIC MELON PLANTS THAT EXPRESS THE CUCUMBER MOSAIC-VIRUS COAT PROTEIN GENE AND IN THEIR PROGENY

Transgenic melon plants that express the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) coat protein gene were found to be resistant to infection with CMV under greenhouse conditions. After inoculation with 1 mug of purified CMV per milliliter of phosphate buffer, transgenic melon plants did not develop symptoms during a 46-day observation period. Furthermore, when the concentration of CMV increased to 10 mug/ml, we observed a delay in the appearance of the symptoms in the transgenic as compared to the control plants. When the resistance to CMV of the transgenic melon plants was compared with that of other cultivars, we observed that the transgenic melon plants and the virus-resistant cultivar ''Miitankan'' did not develop symptoms of infection. Seedlings of progenies of transgenic plants after self-pollination were also resistant to CMV.