Thanks to a revolutionary new technology, scientists from the National Institute for Agricultural Research (Inrae) have succeeded in modifying the DNA of a cherry tomato. The goal ? Making it resistant to potyviruses, which are the largest group of RNA viruses that plants suffer from, reports The Parisian.
Molecular scissors
It was by observing peppers and peas that a researcher from Avignon found the parade. Indeed, some cultivated species have a genetic mutation that makes them naturally resistant to viral diseases. This mutation prevents the virus from using a plant protein to infect it. From then on, INRAe wanted to transpose this modification to certain plants said to be of agronomic interest.
Using molecular scissors, the researchers managed to mimic the observed mutations and transpose them to the first guinea pig: a cherry tomato. Known in the community as CRISPR-Cas9, this technique invented by French researcher Emmanuelle Carpentier, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020, consists of modifying a specific region of the DNA of the manipulated plant.
Limit the use of pesticides
On the strength of this success, the INRAE scientists now want to repeat the experiment on other species such as potatoes, beets or vines. Also called “potato virus”, PVY is one of the most common potyviruses. It can be transmitted by more than 70 species of aphids.
This results in multiple contaminations of plants of agronomic interest such as tomatoes, peppers or peppers. Infections that can decimate crops and generate real economic disasters for farmers. Ultimately, this revolutionary technique could make it possible to reduce the use of pesticides by strengthening the natural resistance of plants.