Resistance gene to rhizomania

Abstract

The invention relates to nucleic acid molecules which impart resistance to rhizomania, in particular to Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus (BNYVV) in a plant, in particular of the genus Beta, and to plants containing such nucleic acid molecules. The invention further relates to methods for producing such BNYVV resistant plants and to marker-based methods for identifying and selecting BNYVV resistant plants, as well as to methods for controlling infection with the pathogen BNYVV.

1 - 15 . (Canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A transgenic plant cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide that is capable of imparting a resistance to a pathogen in a plant in which the polypeptide is expressed, wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from:
 (a) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence that is at least 70% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2, in which at least one amino acid substitution is present as a result of one or more mutations of the nucleotide sequence;   (b) a nucleotide sequence that comprises the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or that hybridizes with a complementary sequence to SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions, in which at least one nucleotide substitution is present as a result of one more mutations, which leads to an amino acid substitution;   (c) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide which, by substitution, deletion and/or addition from one or more amino acids of the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence according to (a) or (b), is derived from a polypeptide encoded by the nucleotide sequence according to (a) or (b); or   (d) a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least one leucine-rich domain (LRR) corresponding to
 (i) the amino acid positions 558 to 594 of SEQ ID NO: 4, or the amino acid positions 542 to 594 of SEQ ID NO: 4, 
 (ii) the amino acid positions 604 to 634 of SEQ ID NO: 4, or the amino acid positions 582 to 634 of SEQ ID NO: 4, 
 (iii) the amino acid positions 760 to 790 of SEQ ID NO: 4 or 
 (iv) the amino acid positions 838 to 869 of SEQ ID NO: 4, 
   
       and/or at least one AAA ATPase domain corresponding to
 (I) the amino acid positions 177 to 289 of SEQ ID NO: 4 or 
 (II) the amino acid positions 156 to 263 of SEQ ID NO: 4 
 
       as a transgene, or a vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule, wherein the nucleic acid molecule is optionally under the control of a heterologous promoter. 
     
     
         17 . A transgenic plant, or a part thereof, which comprises the plant cell according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         18 . A BNYVV-resistant plant of the genus  Beta  or a part thereof, comprising an endogenous nucleic acid molecule having a nucleic acid sequence selected from:
 (a) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:  2  or a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence that is at least  70 % identical to SEQ ID NO:  2 , in which at least one amino acid substitution is present as a result of one or more mutations of the nucleotide sequence;   (b) a nucleotide sequence that comprises the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or that hybridizes with a complementary sequence to SEQ ID NO:1 under stringent conditions, in which at least one nucleotide substitution is present as a result of one more mutations, which leads to an amino acid substitution;   (c) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a polypeptide which, by substitution, deletion and/or addition from one or more amino acids of the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence according to (a) or (b), is derived from a polypeptide encoded by the nucleotide sequence according to (a) or (b); or   (d) a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least one leucine-rich domain (LRR) corresponding to
 (i) the amino acid positions 558 to 594 of SEQ ID NO: 4, or the amino acid positions 542 to 594 of SEQ ID NO: 4, 
 (ii) the amino acid positions 604 to 634 of SEQ ID NO: 4, or the amino acid positions 582 to 634 of SEQ ID NO: 4, 
 (iii) the amino acid positions 760 to 790 of SEQ ID NO: 4 or 
 (iv) the amino acid positions 838 to 869 of SEQ ID NO: 4, 
   
       and/or at least one AAA ATPase domain corresponding to
 (I) the amino acid positions 177 to 289 of SEQ ID NO: 4 or 
 (II) the amino acid positions 156 to 263 of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
 
     
     
         19 . A BNYVV-resistant plant of the genus  Beta  or a part thereof, in which the one or more mutations as defined in  claim 18  have been introduced into an endogenous nucleic acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence that comprises the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or that hybridizes with the complementary sequence to SEQ ID NO: 1 under stringent conditions, wherein the plant or a part thereof does not belong to the subspecies  Beta vulgaris  subsp.  maritima . 
     
     
         20 . The plant according to  claim 18 , wherein the plant is a hybrid plant or a double- haploid plant and/or wherein the nucleic acid molecule or the one of the plurality of mutations is heterozygous or homozygous. 
     
     
         21 . The plant according to  claim 19 , wherein the plant is a hybrid plant or a double- haploid plant and/or wherein the nucleic acid molecule or the one of the plurality of mutations is heterozygous or homozygous. 
     
     
         22 . A seed of the plant according to  claim 17 , wherein the seed transgenically or endogenously comprises one or more of the aforementioned nucleic acid molecules or vectors. 
     
     
         23 . A population of plants comprising a plant according to  claim 18 . 
     
     
         24 . The BNYVV-resistant plant of the genus  Beta  of  claim 18 , wherein the plant is selected from:  Beta vulgaris  ssp.  vulgaris  var.  vulgaris  (chard),  Beta vulgaris  ssp.  vulgaris  var.  conditiva  (red beet/beetroot), or  Beta vulgaris  ssp. v ulgaris . var  crassa/alba  (fodder beet).