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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Crop Production and Pest Control Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313555
Title: Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in barley seedling leaves

Author
item GUNUPURU, LOKANADHA - University College Dublin
item ALI, SHAHIN - University College Dublin
item DOOHAN, FIONA - University College Dublin
item Scofield, Steven - Steve

Submitted to: Bio-protocol
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2015
Publication Date: 6/20/2015
Citation: Gunupuru, L.R., Ali, S.S., Doohan, F.M., Scofield, S.R. 2015. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in barley seedling leaves. Bio-protocol. 5(12): 1506-8.

Interpretive Summary: Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an important experimental technique for establishing the function of plant genes. Scientists can test the function of selected genes by assembling engineered plant viruses that cause the chosen genes to be inactivated when the VIGS virus infects plants. The function of the gene can then be inferred from changes in the behavior of VIGS plants in comparison to control plants. This paper reports procedures that can be used to silence genes in barley plants using VIGS constructs based on Barley stripe mosaic virus. This procedure is of immediate interest to scientists investigating a wide range of biological questions in barley and other small grain cereal crops. But, its wider impact will come in the improved crops that will result from the research this innovative technique enables.

Technical Abstract: Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is one of the most potent reverse genetics technologies for gene functional characterization. This method exploits a dsRNA-mediated antiviral defense mechanism in plants. Using this method allows researchers to generate rapid phenotypic data in a relatively rapid time frame as compared to the generation of stable transformants. Here we describe a simple method for silencing a target gene in barley seedling leaves using vectors based on the Barley Stripe Mosaic Virus (BSMV).