A SIMILARITY BETWEEN VIRAL DEFENSE AND GENE SILENCING IN PLANTS

Authors
RATCLIFF F HARRISON BD BAULCOMBE DC
Citation
F. Ratcliff et al., A SIMILARITY BETWEEN VIRAL DEFENSE AND GENE SILENCING IN PLANTS, Science, 276(5318), 1997, pp. 1558-1560
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Journal title
Science → ACNP
ISSN journal
00368075
Volume
276
Issue
5318
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1558 - 1560
Database
ISI
SICI code
0036-8075(1997)276:5318<1558:ASBVDA>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
Gene silencing in plants, in which an endogenous gene is suppressed by introduction of a related transgene, has been used for crop improveme nt. Observations that viruses are potentially both initiators and targ ets of gene silencing suggested that this phenomenon may be related to natural defense against viruses. Supporting this idea, it was found t hat nepovirus infection of nontransgenic plants induces a resistance m echanism that is similar to transgene-induced gene silencing.