Transgenic plants expressing DNA constructs containing a plurality of genes to impart virus resistance

This invention is related to the genetic engineering of plants and to a means and method for conferring a plurality of traits, including resistance to viruses, to a plant using a vector encoding a plurality of genes, such as coat protein genes, protease genes, or replicase genes. The present invention provides a chimeric recombinant DNA molecule comprising: a plurality of DNA sequences, each of which comprises a plant-functional promoter linked to a coding region, which encodes a virus-associated coat protein, wherein said DNA sequences are preferably linked in tandem so that they are expressed in virus-susceptible plant cells transformed with said recombinant DNA molecule to impart resistance to said viruses; as well as methods for transforming plants with the chimeric recombinant DNA molecule and for selecting plants which express at least one of said DNA sequences imparting viral resistance.