Watermelon production in the U.S. and around the world faces serious threats by viral diseases, including aphid-transmitted potyviruses: papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). In a recent study, a CucCAP team examined expression of anti-microbial/anti-viral, ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) in watermelons in response to inoculation with PRSV. The PRSV-resistant citron watermelon (Citrullus amarus) exhibited high RIP expression, versus low expression in plants of the susceptible, cultivated “Charleston Gray” watermelon. This finding may offer additional genetic and genomic resources for improving potyvirus-resistance in watermelon cultivars.
For further reading:
- Elevated expression of ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) genes in potyvirus-resistant watermelon in response to viral infection
by: Bidisha Chanda, Shan Wu, Zhangjun Fei, Kai-Shu Ling & Amnon Levi
Published online: January 20, 2022 in the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology
DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2021.2021450
