Virus-mediated efficient induction of epigenetic modifications of endogenous genes with phenotypic changes in plants

HANDLE Open Access

Abstract

Gene silencing through transcriptional repression can be induced by targeting double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to a gene promoter. It has been reported that a transgene was silenced by targeting dsRNA to the promoter, and the silenced state was inherited to the progeny plant even after removal of the silencing inducer from cells. In contrast, no plant has been produced that harbors silenced endogenous gene after removal of promoter-targeting dsRNA. Here, we show that heritable gene silencing can be induced by targeting dsRNA to the endogenous gene promoters in petunia and tomato plants, using the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-based vector. We found that efficient silencing of endogenous genes depends on the function of the 2b protein encoded in the vector virus, which has the ability to facilitate epigenetic modifications through the transport of short interfering RNA to nucleus. Bisulfite sequencing analyses on the targeted promoter in the virus-infected and its progeny plants revealed that cytosine methylation was found not only at CG or CNG but also at CNN sites. The observed inheritance of asymmetric DNA methylation is quite unique, suggesting that plants have a mechanism to maintain even asymmetric methylation. This CMV-based gene silencing system provides a useful tool to artificially modify DNA methylation in plant genomes and elucidate the mechanism for epigenetic controls.

Journal

  • Plant Journal

    Plant Journal 65 (1), 156-168, 2011-01

    Wiley-Blackwell

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

  • CRID
    1050564288960625152
  • NII Article ID
    120005946605
  • HANDLE
    2115/49399
  • ISSN
    09607412
  • Text Lang
    en
  • Article Type
    journal article
  • Data Source
    • IRDB
    • CiNii Articles

Report a problem

Back to top