The development of transgenic plants has proven to be a valuable molecular strategy for protecting plants from viral diseases. Transgenic plants expressing naturally occurring coat proteins of at least eight different virus groups have been shown to provide varying levels of resistance to infection by the corresponding virus. The mechanisms behind conferred resistance have not been established. However, in many of these systems the resistance conferred by this type of transgenic coat expression is only effective against low levels of virus and leads only to a delay in disease development.
Improved resistance is needed.
The present invention is developed for producing a transgenic plant which displaces naturally occurring viral coat proteins with mutant coat proteins during the uncoating process of infection, hindering the virus' ability to fully uncoat and replicate.