Abstract: A cucumber plant comprising a genome being homozygous for a loss of function mutation in an eIF4E gene is provided. Also provided are methods of producing such plants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to engrafted plants comprising a transgenic rootstock resistant to a viral disease and a susceptible scion, wherein the resistance to the disease is conferred to the scion from the transgenic viral-resistant rootstock, such that the entire engrafted plant is resistant to the viral disease. The invention also relates to methods of producing the engrafted viral-resistant plants and the plants produced thereof.

Abstract: A nucleic acid vector for concurrently imparting herbicide resistance to a plant and cross protecting the plant. The vector includes sufficient potyvirus nucleic acid sequence to permit viral replication and spread. The vector further includes mutations which attenuate symptoms of viral infection in the plant and which abolish transmission of the virus by an insect vector. The vector further includes an additional nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein which imparts resistance to an herbicide when expressed in the infected plant. Further disclosed is a method of concurrently imparting herbicide resistance to a plant and cross protecting the plant against at least one potyvirus comprising inoculating at least a portion of the plant with the vector. Further disclosed are plant cells treated according to the method and virions derived from the vector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing supplemental interferon to a subject. One disclosed system includes a viral vector capable of infecting a plant and expressing interferon therein and the plant, which is edible. Another disclosed system includes a DNA capable of expressing an interferon gene in a plant and the plant, which is edible and susceptible to transformation by the DNA sequence. Further disclosed is a method including causing a plant to express at least a portion of an interferon gene and feeding at least a portion of the plant to the subject.

Abstract: A recombinant vector for expressing a heterologous peptide at the amino-terminus of a potyvirus coat protein. The vector includes sufficient potyvirus nucleic acid sequence to permit viral replication and spread within a plant infected by the vector. The vector further includes a heterologous nucleic acid sequence inserted at the amino-terminus of the potyvirus coat protein. Further disclosed are methods for transiently expressing the heterologous protein in a plant using the vector and plants transiently expressing the vector. Additionally, methods for vaccination which employ the vector to express an antigenic determinant in a plant are disclosed.