Tobacco plants can grow in areas of poor nutrition and extreme climatic
conditions. Two popular varieties of tobacco, K-326 and C9-1, have good
yield and quality but susceptible to viral diseases. To date, there are no
virus resistant tobacco varieties available in Vietnam, especially for
combating mosaic or spotted wilt virus. Thus, Vietnamese researchers
conducted a study to develop virus resistant tobacco by applying
biotechnology.

Vietnamese scientists collaborated with the researchers at the Institute of
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Belgium) and succeeded in breeding
tobacco for virus resistance using gene silencing or RNAi technology. The
study designed three expression vectors carrying single gene (TMV, TSWV) or
multiple genes (TMV, TSWV, CMV and TYLCV). The transformation efficiency of
K326 and C9-1 was 18.33% and 11.6%, respectively. The T1 transgenic lines
carry the homozygous transgene (TMV-K18-06; TMV-K18-10; TSWV-K03-01,
TCYS-K18-01; TMV-C12-03, TSWV-C05- 02 and TCYS-C17-01), with equivalent
quality standards as wild type K326 and C9-1. Greenhouse scale analysis and
evaluation of transgenic tobacco lines were also carried out.

The results provide the scientific basis for research on the application of
RNAi technology in virus-resistant cultivars.

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