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A Phenotypic, Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of the First Cisgenic Scab-Resistant Apple Variety ‘Gala’

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Abstract

Scab resistance is one of the most important goals of apple breeding, typically achieved by time-consuming and expensive conventional breeding techniques. Cisgenesis, which is the genetic modification of a recipient organism with genes from a crossable—sexually compatible—organism, is a promising tool for plant breeding to develop disease resistance in a rapid way. A cisgenic, scab-resistant line of the apple variety ‘Gala’ expressing the native apple scab resistance gene Rvi6 (formerly HcrVf2) under control of its own regulatory sequences has been recently developed. In this paper, we present the results from a phenotypic, molecular and biochemical evaluation of clonal replicates of this line (C11.1.53). The phenotype (shoot length, shoot diameter, internode length, number of leaves, leaf length and leaf width) of C11.1.53 was compared to that of the Gala parental background over a period of 108 days. Only a few statistically significant differences were detected, which are probably due to small differences in the quality of the budwood used for grafting rather than effects related to the presence of the cisgene. As the expression of a resistance gene can affect the downstream cascade of plant defence responses, a selection of apple defence-related genes was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. These genes are also known as major allergen genes in apple. Even if three out of ten apple allergen genes tested in the leaves differed in the cisgenic line compared to both Gala (background) and ‘Florina’ (the variety from which the Rvi6 gene was cloned), using 2D-PAGE, we were unable to find any significant difference in the expressed proteomes of the leaves of C11.1.53 compared to Gala. Results are discussed in the context of a possible use of cisgenic lines for fruit crop improvement.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support by the Swiss National Science Foundation NRP59 and Dr Jörg Samietz and Didier Socquet-Juglard for the help in the statistical analysis of the data.

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Author notes

  1. Roberta Paris

    Present address: Consiglio per la Ricerca e la sperimentazione in Agricoltura-Centro di Ricerca per le Colture Industriali, via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Protection and Fruit and Vegetable Extension Division, Research Station Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil, Schloss 1, 8820, Wädenswil, Switzerland

    Melanie Jänsch & Andrea Patocchi

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università di Bologna, via Fanin 46, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Roberta Paris, Giulia Pagliarani & Stefano Tartarini

  3. Laboratory of Fruit Breeding and Biotechnology, Division of Crop Biotechnics, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, Heverlee, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Francis Amoako-Andoh, Wannes Keulemans & Mark W. Davey

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  1. Melanie Jänsch
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Correspondence to Andrea Patocchi.

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Jänsch, M., Paris, R., Amoako-Andoh, F. et al. A Phenotypic, Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of the First Cisgenic Scab-Resistant Apple Variety ‘Gala’. Plant Mol Biol Rep 32, 679–690 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-013-0682-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-013-0682-0

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