Cytoplasmic gene inhibition or gene expression in transfected plants by a tobraviral vector

A method of compiling a plant functional gene profile, comprising:

• (a) preparing a library of DNA or RNA sequences from a donor plant, and constructing recombinant viral nucleic acids comprising an unidentified nucleic acid insert obtained from said library in either a positive sense or an antisense orientation, wherein said recombinant viral nucleic acids are obtained from a tobravirus;
• (b) infecting a plant host with one or more said recombinant viral nucleic acids;
• (c) transiently expressing said unidentified nucleic acid in the plant host;
• (d) determining one or more phenotypic or biochemical changes in the plant host;
• (e) identifying an associated trait relating to a phenotypic or biochemical change;
• (f) identifying said recombinant viral nucleic acid that results in said one or more changes in the plant host;
• (g) repeating steps (b)-(f) until at least one nucleic acid sequence associated with said trait is identified, whereby a functional gene profile of the plant host or of the plant donor is compiled.

A method of compiling a plant functional gene profile, comprising:

• (a) preparing a library of DNA or RNA sequences from a donor plant, and constructing recombinant viral nucleic acids comprising an unidentified nucleic acid insert obtained from said library, wherein recombinant viral nucleic acids are obtained from a tobravirus;
• (b) infecting a plant host with one or more said recombinant viral nucleic acids;
• (c) transiently expressing said recombinant nucleic acid in the plant host;
• (d) determining one or more changes in a phenotypic or biochemical trait in the plant host;
• (e) identifying said recombinant viral nucleic acid that results in one or more changes in the plant host;
• (f) determining the sequence of said unidentified nucleic acid insert;
• and
• (g) repeating steps (b)-(f) until at least one nucleic acid sequence associated with said trait is identified, whereby a functional gene profile of the plant host or the plant donor is compiled.

A method of determining the presence of a trait in a plant host, comprising:

• (a) preparing a library of DNA and RNA sequences of a plant donor;
• (b) constructing recombinant viral nucleic acids comprising an unidentified nucleic acid insert obtained from said library in an antisense or a positive sense orientation, wherein said recombinant viral nucleic acid are obtained from a tobravirus;
• (c) infecting said plant host with one or more said recombinant viral nucleic acids, and expressing transiently said unidentified nucleic acid in said plant host such that one or more phenotypic or biochemical changes occurs;
• (d) determining one or more biochemical or phenotypic traits relating to said changes in said plant host;
• and
• (e) comparing said one or more biochemical or phenotypic traits to a plant host that is uninfected.