基因沉默技术及其在棉花中的应用

Gene Silencing and Its Application in Cotton

基因沉默是指生物体内基因表达调控的重要手段,主要表现为特定基因的表达量下调或表达受到抑制。基因沉默主要有两种,转录水平上的基因沉默和转录后基因沉默。前者主要包括基因甲基化、位置效应、同源基因的反式失活、后成修饰作用以及重复序列引起的基因沉默;后者主要包括共抑制和RNA干扰引起的基因沉默。基因沉默广泛存在于植物体中,是一种基因表达调控和抵御病毒侵害的重要机制。文中介绍了基因沉默的类型和作用,重点评述了基因沉默技术在植物基因功能研究,尤其在棉花种质创新与品种改良方面的应用进展。

Gene silencing is an important regulation of gene expression in living organisms. It refers to the phenomena of in vivo unexpression or reduced expression of specific genes. There are two types of gene silencing, transcriptional gene silencing(TGS) and post-transcriptional gene silencing(PTGS). TGS mainly includes gene methylation,position effect, trans-inactivation between homologous genes, epigenetic modification and repetitive sequence.PTGS includes co-suppression and RNA interference. Gene silencing widely exists in plants. It is an important mechanism of gene expression regulation and protection against the virus. In this paper, we reviewed the types and functions of gene silencing in plants, focusing on application in gene function research, especially in germplasm innovation and genetic improvement in cotton.