病毒诱导的基因沉默技术及其在植物中的研究进展

Research Advances of Virus-induced Gene Silencing Technology in Plant

病毒诱导的基因沉默(virus-induced gene silencing,VIGS)是近年来发现的一种转录后基因沉默现象,是植物抵抗病毒侵染的一种自然机制。现已被开发为快速鉴定植物基因功能的一种反向遗传学新技术。与传统的植物转基因技术相比,VIGS无需构建转基因植株,而且具有操作简便、获得表型快速等优点,目前已广泛应用于与植物抗病、逆境胁迫、细胞信号转导以及生长发育等相关基因功能的研究。该文就VIGS技术的作用机理、主要操作规程、在植物基因功能研究方面的应用以及存在的问题进行综述。

Virus-induced gene silencing （VIGS） is a recently discovered post-transcriptional gene silencing, which is a natural plant antiviral mechanism. It has been developed as a new reverse genetics technique de- signed to rapidly characterize the function of plant genes. The approach has many advantages compare with normal plant transformation,such as no necessity to construct the transgenic plants, simplicity and rapid- ness to obtain phenotype. Therefore, VIGS has been used widely in plants for analysis the functions of genes involved in processes such as disease resistance, abiotic stress, cellular signaling, growth and develop- ment. This paper reviewed the mechanisms of VIGS,its major procedures,its application to the function a- nalysis of plant gene and current troubles.