Rapid delivery of foreign genes into plants by direct rub-inoculation withintact plasmid DNA of a tomato busby stunt virus gene vector

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) cDNA, positioned between a modified caulifl ower mosaic virus 35S promoter and the hepatitis delta virus antigenomic ri bozyme with a downstream nopaline synthase gene polyadenylation signal, est ablished infections upon rub-inoculation of plants with intact plasmids. Ap plication of this methodology produced a TBSV DNA-based gene vector which y ielded readily detectable levels of localized foreign gene expression in in oculated leaves. This is the first demonstration of an infectious DNA from a member of the Tombusviridae which permits rapid TBSV-mediated foreign-gen e expression upon direct rub-inoculation of miniprep DNA onto a variety of plant species.