Patent ID: 7012172

Claim:
A method for interfering with the expression of a selected gene in plant cells through RNA-triggered gene silencing initiated by a recombinant viral vector, the method comprising: (a) infecting said cells at one or more locations of a host plant with the recombinant viral vector, said viral vector comprising a recombinant genomic component of a plant virus and a nucleic acid segment of the selected gene, wherein said vector, upon infection, directs self-replication and produces a transcription product of the nucleic acid segment in said cells but is incapable of systemic movement in the host plant, wherein the nucleic acid segment is expressed from a subgenomic promoter of the plant virus coat protein gene or movement protein gene and is expressed as part of messenger RNA (mRNA) of the coat protein gene or movement protein gene; and (b) growing the host plant, wherein the transcription product interferes with the expression of the selected gene in said as determined by a genetic, biochemical or phenotypic change attributable to said interference.