Full-length cDNA clones of turnip mosaic virus were assembled under the control of T7 or 35S promoter. The 35S or nopaline synthase terminator signals were introduced downstream the full length cDNA controlled by 35S promoter. Both the capped in vitro transcripts from T7 controlled template, and the cDNAs from 35S controlled plasmids were infectious on Arabidopis thaliana plants according to systemically induced symptoms and to ELISA assays. The cDNAs from 35S controlled plasmids induced local lesions in Chenopodium amaranticolor and Chenopodium quinoa plants. A spontaneous silent C/T transition, giving rise to an additional SpeI restriction site, not present in the original viral RNA template, was used as a marker of the origin of infection.