Speakers - 2026

Title: Eukaryotic elongation factor (eIF4) targeted sequence analysis of PVY tolerant Kutsaga accession to determine nucleotide responsible for PVY resistance and CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of a Kutsaga line for PVY resistance

Abstract

Potato virus Y (PVY) is a destructive viral pathogen in tobacco capable of causing up to 100% crop loss when infection occurs early in plant development. In most tobacco production systems, infected plants are removed (rouging) to reduce virus spread because no curative control methods exist once infection has occurred. Consequently, developing genetic resistance remains the most sustainable strategy for managing PVY. Previous studies have shown that the viral genome-linked protein (VPg) interacts with the host translation initiation factor eIF4E, a component of the plant protein synthesis machinery that functions as a susceptibility factor facilitating viral infection. Disrupting this interaction offers a promising approach for enhancing virus resistance in plants. In this study, PVY resistance was induced in tobacco by targeting the eIF4E gene using the genome-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9. The eIF4E gene in the tobacco parental line ONC was mutated through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout. Plants carrying the desired mutation were identified using Sanger sequencing with specific primers targeting the eIF4E gene. Comparative analysis between wild-type and mutated plants using CLUSTALW pairwise alignment revealed approximately 45% nucleotide differences. Disease assessments indicated that the mutated plants exhibited enhanced resistance to PVY. These findings demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutation of eIF4E provides a rapid and cost-effective strategy for developing PVY-resistant tobacco varieties.

What will the audience take away from presentation?

Use of CRISPR-Cas9 in crop improvement
Demonstrates how genome editing can be used to develop virus-resistant crop varieties.

Understanding host–virus interactions
Explains how Potato virus Y interacts with the host susceptibility factor eIF4E during infection.

Practical gene-editing workflow
Provides a simple framework for designing and validating CRISPR-based gene mutations in plants.

Sustainable disease management
Highlights genetic resistance as an alternative to chemical or cultural control methods.

Research and breeding applications
Offers insights that researchers and breeders can use to develop PVY-resistant crops.