RNA transformation vectors derived from a single-component RNA virus and contain an intervening sequence between the cap and the 5' end

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 exogeneous 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.