Single-component RNA vectors derived from a virus and containing an intervening sequence between the cap and the 5 end and able to replicate in a host plant cell within a host plant

摘要

This invention is directed to a plus strand RNA viral vector for transformation of a host organism with a foreign RNA, and expression of said foreign RNA. The foreign RNA is inserted into an infective RNA viral segment containing cis-acting viral replication elements, and allowed to infect the host organism. The RNA vector is modified to obtain infectivity by including an intervening sequence between the cap and the 5 end. The modified RNA is able to tolerate the exogenous RNA segment without disrupting the replication of the modified RNA, in the absence of a trans-acting viral replication element in a single component plant virus host cell.