Department of Plant Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai-625021.
Abstracts of Research Papers Presented during the National Symposium of Indian Virological Society at Unit of Plant Virology, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, October 14–1.
Disease caused by Cardamom mosaic virus (CdMV) is a serious constraint in cardamom production. The coat protein gene sequences of eight isolates of the virus from all along the cardamom tract have been determined. Analysis of these sequences has revealed that CdMV is one of the most genetically diverse virus among Potyviridae (Jacob et al., 2003). The N terminal portion of the coat protein is the most variable region among the isolates. However, the core of the coat protein is highly conserved. In order to develop broad-spectrum resistance in cardamom against the virus, the core region of the coat protein has ben cloned in a vector suitable for biolistic transformation. Moreover, the coat protein gene sequences of two widely different isolates from Karnataka (Yeslur) and Kerala (Kursupara) have also been used for the transformation of cardamom. Work is in progress towards the tissue culture and regeneration of cardamom.
