The invention provides methods and systems for controlling the expression
and, in general, the cellular activity of preselected polynucleic acid
molecules. The invention also provides methods and systems for
genetically modifying cells and multi-cellular organisms to impart
resistance to viruses. The invention further provides methods and systems
for genetically modifying cells and multi-cellular organisms so that they
diagnostically report viral infection. One aspect of the invention
involves rendering target polynucleic nucleic acid molecules as
functional templates for at least one template-directed polynucleic acid
polymerase so that utilization of the polynucleic acid molecule as a
template by the polymerase modulates the activity of the targeted
polynucleic acid molecule. Other aspects of the invention of the
invention involve rendering selected polynucleic nucleic acid molecules
as targets for RNA silencing, whether or not the silencing is
polymerase-mediated.
