Maize streak virus (MSV) diversity in Uganda and the assessment of gene silencing as a tool for development of resistance to MSV

Résumé Research Application Summary Maize streak virus (MSV) diversity in Uganda and the assessment of gene silencing as a tool for development of resistance to MSV Owor, B.E.1, Thompson, J.A.1 & Shepherd, D.M.1 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa Corresponding author: [email protected] Through an extensive survey conducted in all maize-growing regions in Uganda as well as the application of gene silencing to develop a novel disease control option for maize streak disease, the diversity of Maize streak virus (MSV) in different regions in the country as well as a new disease resistance source were established. Sequence data indicated that all Ugandan MSV isolates belong to the maize-infecting MSV-A1 subtype that is predominant in many sampled areas in East Africa and that both interand intra-subtype recombination is common in Ugandan MSVs. Using a transient assay, it was established that MSV replication was abolished or greatly inhibited by a hairpin of a 678-bp portion of an intronless MSV REP gene. The rep hairpin construct also significantly reduced replication of three southern African isolates as well as Ugandan isolates identified in this study.