In one aspect the invention comprises a transgenic garlic plant expressing pokeweed antiviral protein or a fusion protein comprising pokeweed antiviral protein and ricin A-chain. Garlic plants comprising this transgene may possess greater resistance to disease and may provide benefits to animals that consume the plant as antivirals. In another aspect, the invention comprises a vector comprising a polynucleotide that encodes pokeweed antiviral protein or a fusion protein comprising pokeweed antiviral protein and ricin A-chain. In yet another aspect, the invention comprises a fusion protein comprising pokeweed antiviral protein or a fusion protein comprising pokeweed antiviral protein and ricin A-chain. The fusion protein may be delivered to a subject as an extract or in combination with a pharmaceutical excipient as an antiviral agent.
