Functional analysis of the leaky Pelota allele pepy-1 from Capsicum reveals partial geminivirus resistance in Arabidopsis

We previously identified pepy-1 , a begomovirus (family Geminiviridae ) resistance gene in Capsicum , as a putative loss-of-function allele of Pelota. Here, we performed a genetic complementation assay using the Arabidopsis Pelota1 knockout mutant SALK_124403, which is resistant to beet curly top virus (BCTV; family Geminiviridae , genus Curtovirus ). Introduction of the susceptible allele ( Pepy-1 ) restored susceptibility, whereas expression of the resistant allele ( pepy-1 ) slightly compromised resistance, allowing limited viral replication but still conferring higher resistance than in Col-0. Thus, pepy-1 functions as a leaky allele that confers partial susceptibility, thereby diminishing—but not abolishing—resistance to BCTV. The delicate balance of this leaky allele to confer virus resistance with minimal impact on growth, making it well-suited for use in breeding programs.