Genetic Engineering for Viral Disease Management in Plants

Abstract

Viral diseases are a major threat to world agriculture and breeding resistant varieties against these viruses is one of the major challenge faced by plant virologists and biotechnologists. The development of the concept of pathogen derived resistance gave rise to strategies ranging from coat protein based interference of virus propagation to RNA mediated virus gene silencing. Much progress has been achieved in protecting plants against these RNA and DNA viruses. In this review, the most recent transgene based approaches for viral disease management in plants will be discussed.