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Zhang Y, Niu N, Li S, Liu Y, Xue C, Wang H, Liu M, Zhao J. Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) in Chinese Jujube. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12112115. [PMID: 37299093 DOI: 10.3390/plants12112115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a fast and efficient method for assaying gene function in plants. At present, the VIGS system mediated by Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) has been successfully practiced in some species such as cotton and tomato. However, little research of VIGS systems has been reported in woody plants, nor in Chinese jujube. In this study, the TRV-VIGS system of jujube was firstly investigated. The jujube seedlings were grown in a greenhouse with a 16 h light/8 h dark cycle at 23 °C. After the cotyledon was fully unfolded, Agrobacterium mixture containing pTRV1 and pTRV2-ZjCLA with OD600 = 1.5 was injected into cotyledon. After 15 days, the new leaves of jujube seedlings showed obvious photo-bleaching symptoms and significantly decreased expression of ZjCLA, indicating that the TRV-VIGS system had successfully functioned on jujube. Moreover, it found that two injections on jujube cotyledon could induce higher silencing efficiency than once injection. A similar silencing effect was then also verified in another gene, ZjPDS. These results indicate that the TRV-VIGS system in Chinese jujube has been successfully established and can be applied to evaluate gene function, providing a breakthrough in gene function verification methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Zhang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Nazi Niu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Shijia Li
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Yin Liu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Chaoling Xue
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Huibin Wang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Mengjun Liu
- Research Center of Chinese Jujube, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Jin Zhao
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
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Tiedge K, Destremps J, Solano-Sanchez J, Arce-Rodriguez ML, Zerbe P. Foxtail mosaic virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). PLANT METHODS 2022; 18:71. [PMID: 35644680 PMCID: PMC9150325 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-022-00903-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the genome for the allotetraploid bioenergy crop switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been established, limitations in mutant resources have hampered in planta gene function studies toward crop optimization. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a versatile technique for transient genetic studies. Here we report the implementation of foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV)-mediated gene silencing in switchgrass in above- and below-ground tissues and at different developmental stages. RESULTS The study demonstrated that leaf rub-inoculation is a suitable method for systemic gene silencing in switchgrass. For all three visual marker genes, Magnesium chelatase subunit D (ChlD) and I (ChlI) as well as phytoene desaturase (PDS), phenotypic changes were observed in leaves, albeit at different intensities. Gene silencing efficiency was verified by RT-PCR for all tested genes. Notably, systemic gene silencing was also observed in roots, although silencing efficiency was stronger in leaves (~ 63-94%) as compared to roots (~ 48-78%). Plants at a later developmental stage were moderately less amenable to VIGS than younger plants, but also less perturbed by the viral infection. CONCLUSIONS Using FoMV-mediated VIGS could be achieved in switchgrass leaves and roots, providing an alternative approach for studying gene functions and physiological traits in this important bioenergy crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Tiedge
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, USA.
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | - Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, USA
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Mancinotti D, Rodriguez MC, Frick KM, Dueholm B, Jepsen DG, Agerbirk N, Geu-Flores F. Development and application of a virus-induced gene silencing protocol for the study of gene function in narrow-leafed lupin. PLANT METHODS 2021; 17:131. [PMID: 34963500 PMCID: PMC8714437 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-021-00832-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lupins are promising protein crops with an increasing amount of genomic and transcriptomic resources. The new resources facilitate the in silico identification of candidate genes controlling important agronomic traits. However, a major bottleneck for lupin research and crop improvement is the in planta characterization of gene function. Here, we present an efficient protocol for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to down-regulate endogenous genes in narrow-leafed lupin (NLL) using the apple latent spherical virus (ALSV). RESULTS We identified ALSV as an appropriate VIGS vector able to infect NLL without causing a discernible phenotype. We created improved ALSV vectors to allow for efficient cloning of gene fragments into the viral genome and for easier viral propagation via agroinfiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana. Using this system, we silenced the visual marker gene phytoene desaturase (PDS), which resulted in systemic, homogenous silencing as indicated by bleaching of newly produced tissues. Furthermore, by silencing lysine decarboxylase (LaLDC)-a gene likely to be involved in toxic alkaloid biosynthesis-we demonstrate the applicability of our VIGS method to silence a target gene alone or alongside PDS in a 'PDS co-silencing' approach. The co-silencing approach allows the visual identification of tissues where silencing is actively occurring, which eases tissue harvesting and downstream analysis, and is useful where the trait under study is not affected by PDS silencing. Silencing LaLDC resulted in a ~ 61% or ~ 67% decrease in transcript level, depending on whether LaLDC was silenced alone or alongside PDS. Overall, the silencing of LaLDC resulted in reduced alkaloid levels, providing direct evidence of its involvement in alkaloid biosynthesis in NLL. CONCLUSIONS We provide a rapid and efficient VIGS method for validating gene function in NLL. This will accelerate the research and improvement of this underutilized crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Mancinotti
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Maria Cecilia Rodriguez
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Karen Michiko Frick
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Bjørn Dueholm
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ditte Goldschmidt Jepsen
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Niels Agerbirk
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Fernando Geu-Flores
- Section for Plant Biochemistry and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
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Shi G, Hao M, Tian B, Cao G, Wei F, Xie Z. A Methodological Advance of Tobacco Rattle Virus-Induced Gene Silencing for Functional Genomics in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:671091. [PMID: 34149770 PMCID: PMC8212136 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.671091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
As a promising high-throughput reverse genetic tool in plants, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) has already begun to fulfill some of this promise in diverse aspects. However, review of the technological advancements about widely used VIGS system, tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-mediated gene silencing, needs timely updates. Hence, this article mainly reviews viral vector construction, inoculation method advances, important influential factors, and summarizes the recent applications in diverse plant species, thus providing a better understanding and advice for functional gene analysis related to crop improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongyao Shi
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mengyuan Hao
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Baoming Tian
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Improvements, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Gangqiang Cao
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Improvements, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fang Wei
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Improvements, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhengqing Xie
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Improvements, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Wang Y, Chai C, Khatabi B, Scheible WR, Udvardi MK, Saha MC, Kang Y, Nelson RS. An Efficient Brome mosaic virus-Based Gene Silencing Protocol for Hexaploid Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:685187. [PMID: 34220905 PMCID: PMC8253535 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.685187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a rapid and powerful method to evaluate gene function, especially for species like hexaploid wheat that have large, redundant genomes and are difficult and time-consuming to transform. The Brome mosaic virus (BMV)-based VIGS vector is widely used in monocotyledonous species but not wheat. Here we report the establishment of a simple and effective VIGS procedure in bread wheat using BMVCP5, the most recently improved BMV silencing vector, and wheat genes PHYTOENE DESATURASE (TaPDS) and PHOSPHATE2 (TaPHO2) as targets. Time-course experiments revealed that smaller inserts (~100 nucleotides, nt) were more stable in BMVCP5 and conferred higher silencing efficiency and longer silencing duration, compared with larger inserts. When using a 100-nt insert and a novel coleoptile inoculation method, BMVCP5 induced extensive silencing of TaPDS transcript and a visible bleaching phenotype in the 2nd to 5th systemically-infected leaves from nine to at least 28 days post inoculation (dpi). For TaPHO2, the ability of BMVCP5 to simultaneously silence all three homoeologs was demonstrated. To investigate the feasibility of BMV VIGS in wheat roots, ectopically expressed enhanced GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN (eGFP) in a transgenic wheat line was targeted for silencing. Silencing of eGFP fluorescence was observed in both the maturation and elongation zones of roots. BMVCP5 mediated significant silencing of eGFP and TaPHO2 mRNA expression in roots at 14 and 21 dpi, and TaPHO2 silencing led to the doubling of inorganic phosphate concentration in the 2nd through 4th systemic leaves. All 54 wheat cultivars screened were susceptible to BMV infection. BMVCP5-mediated TaPDS silencing resulted in the expected bleaching phenotype in all eight cultivars examined, and decreased TaPDS transcript was detected in all three cultivars examined. This BMVCP5 VIGS technology may serve as a rapid and effective functional genomics tool for high-throughput gene function studies in aerial and root tissues and in many wheat cultivars.
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