摘要 |
<p>Methods for protecting plants against viral attack comprising causing the plants to generate an ancestral interferon response to the virus. The response can be generated by genetically altering the plant to contain ancestral interferon genetic information as embodied typically in human interferon so that the plant produces its own interferon, or by topically applying animal interferon, including human intracellular mediators, or interferon inducers such as dsRNAs. Less-than-entire interferon molecules will work so long as, e.g. a fragment contains an essential amino acid sequence which is independently capable of inducing the interferon response.</p> |