Tobamovirus-resistant tobacco generated by RNA interference directed against host genes

Two homologous Nicotiana tabacum genes NtTOM1 and NtTOM3 have been identified. These genes encode polypeptides with amino acid sequence similarity to Arabidopsis thaliana TOM1 and TOM3, which function in parallel to support tobamovirus multiplication. Simultaneous RNA interference against NtTOM1 and NtTOM3 in N. tabacum resulted in nearly complete inhibition of the multiplication of Tomato mosaic virus and other tobamoviruses, but did not affect plant growth or the ability of Cucumber mosaic virus to multiply. As TOM1 and TOM3 homologues are present in a variety of plant species, their inhibition via RNA interference should constitute a useful method for generating tobamovirus-resistant plants.