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Viruses and gene silencing in plants

  • Chapter
100 Years of Virology

Part of the book series: Archives of Virology. Supplementa ((ARCHIVES SUPPL,volume 15))

Summary

Genetic engineering of virus resistance in plants may be conferred by transgenes based on sequences from the viral genome. In many instances the underlying mechanism involves the transgenically expressed proteins. However there are other examples in which the mechanism is based on RNA. It appears that this mechanism is related to post transcriptional gene silencing in transgenic plants. This gene silencing is likely to involve antisense RNA produced by the action of a host-encoded RNA dependent RNA polymerase. The natural role of this mechanism is as a genetic immune system conferring protection against viruses. There may also be a genomic role of the process reflected in RNA directed methylation of transgenes. Further understanding of this mechanism has obvious implications for virus resistance in plants. In addition the gene silencing can be used as a component of a new technology with application in functional genomics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK

    D. Baulcombe

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  1. D. Baulcombe
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

    Charles H. Calisher

  2. Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Virology, State University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands

    M. C. Horzinek

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Baulcombe, D. (1999). Viruses and gene silencing in plants. In: Calisher, C.H., Horzinek, M.C. (eds) 100 Years of Virology. Archives of Virology. Supplementa, vol 15. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6425-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6425-9_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-83360-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-6425-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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