Improving the effectiveness of artificial microRNA (amiR)-mediated resistance against Turnip mosaic virus by combining two amiRs or by targeting highly conserved viral genomic regions.

A drawback of recent antiviral therapies based on the transgenic expression of artificial microRNAs (amiRs) is the ease with which viruses generate escape mutations. Here, we show two alternative strategies for improving the effectiveness of resistance in plants. First, we expressed two amiRs complementary to independent targets in the viral genome, and second, we designed amiRs complementary to highly conserved RNA motifs in the viral genome.