Patent ID: 6197542
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: C07K,C12N

Abstract:
A method of protecting plants or plant cells against an RNA-based plant virus which for its replication is dependent upon a viral RNA/RNA polymerase, comprising:a) obtaining a plant RNA defective replicon which is a stripped viral replicon of said RNA-based plant virus, wherein said stripped viral replicon comprises cis elements for replication but is devoid of genes coding for viral RNA/RNA polymerase and viral coat protein and wherein said stripped viral replicon is not able to replicate independently, but replicates more efficiently in the presence of the viral RNA/RNA polymerase than the RNA of the wild-type plant virus,b) preparing an expression cassette functional in plants or plant cells, said expression cassette comprising said stripped viral replicon between two inverted repeat nucleotide sequences of 12-250 bp, andc) incorporating said expression cassette into the genome of said plants or plant cells to be protected.