METHOD AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING BARLEY YELLOW DWARF VIRUS RESISTANT CEREAL PLANTS

摘要

The invention provides a DNA molecule comprising a plant-operable promoter operably linked to a DNA region that is capable of being transcribed in the cells of a cereal plant to produce RNA comprising inverted repeat sequence least about 19 nucleotides from the sequence of an RNA dependent RNA polymerase gene of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV). The DNA molecule is useful for reducing expression of the viral RNA dependant RNA polymerase and for enhancing the resistance of cereal crops to BYDV, optionally in the presence of a viral promoter that normally inactivates other modes of post transcriptional gene silencing. Methods are provided for producing transgenic cereal plant lines comprising the DNA molecule of the invention integrated into their genome, and selecting those lines having resistance to BYDV infection. Transgenic plants having enhanced resistance to BYDV are also provided.