Factors affecting efficient infection of tobacco with in vitro RNA transcripts from cloned cDNAs of satellite tobacco mosaic virus

Recombinant cDNA clones of the complete satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) genome (1059 ribonucleotides) were constructed with unique Xbal and HindllI or Pstl restriction sites engineered at the 5′ and 3′ termini, respectively. The genome-length cDNAs were positioned downstream of T7 or SP6 phage promoters. Genome-sense RNAs transcribed in vitro from the T7 promoter were biologically active, while negative-sense RNAs transcribed in vitro from...