Novel N gene-associated, temperature-independent resistance to the movement of tobacco mosaic virus vectors neutralized by a cucumber mosaic virus RNA1 transgene.

The N gene conditions for resistance to Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) but only below 28 degrees C. However, a TMV-based vector expressing green fluorescent protein (TMV-GFP) showed only limited movement at 33 degrees C in tobacco plants harboring the N gene and other genes cointrogressed from Nicotiana glutinosa. TMV-GFP moved efficiently in tobacco plants that either lacked these genes or that contained the N gene but were transgenic for RNA1 of Cucumber mosaic virus. These findings identified novel temperature-independent resistance to the movement of TMV-GFP which could be neutralized by a different viral transgene. Using the N gene and nahG gene-transgenic tobacco, we show that this novel resistance is manifested specifically by the N gene itself and operates via a pathway independent of salicylic acid.