Abstract Background Nuclear transcription factor Y subunit A ( NFYA ) plays an important role in plant growth, development, and response to abiotic stress. Results This study systematically analyzed the gene family. Chromosome location analysis found that some genes Gossypium hirsutum may have been lost during evolution. Collinearity selection pressure indicated GhNFYA family underwent fragment...

The viral genome-linked protein, VPg, of potyviruses is involved in viral genome replication and translation. To determine host proteins that interact with Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) VPg, a yeast two-hybrid screen was used and a maize (Zea mays) Elongin C (ZmElc) protein was identified. ZmELC transcript was observed in all maize organs, but most highly in leaves and pistil extracts, and ZmEl...

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a useful tool for functional characterization of genes in plants. Unfortunately, the efficiency of infection by Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) is relatively low for some non-Solanaceae plants, which are economically important, such as rose (Rosa sp.). Here, to generate an easy traceable TRV vector, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was tagged to the 3' te...

In plants, RNA silencing plays a key role in antiviral defense. To counteract host defense, plant viruses encode viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSRs) that target different effector molecules in the RNA silencing pathway. Evidence has shown that plants also encode endogenous suppressors of RNA silencing (ESRs) that function in proper regulation of RNA silencing. The possibility that these c...

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a very useful research tool for rapid creation of gene knockdown phenotypes that can be used to assess plant gene function (Kumagai et al., 1995; Ratcliff et al., 1997; Baulcombe, 1999). VIGS exploits the fact that infection by many RNA viruses activates a conserved, RNAbased plant antiviral defense response, which targets the RNA produced by infecting vir...

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a valuable tool for identification and characterization of genes function. To improve the efficiency of VIGS in different organ, we developed an organ-specific VIGS that could be applied to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv Micro Tom) leaves, flowers and fruits respectively. With phytoene desaturase (PDS) as a reporter gene, almost up to 100% of efficiency o...

Specific cDNA fragments corresponding to putative cellulose synthase genes (CesA) were inserted into potato virus X vectors for functional analysis in Nicotiana benthamiana by using virus-induced gene silencing. Plants infected with one group of cDNAs had much shorter internode lengths, small leaves, and a "dwarf" phenotype. Consistent with a loss of cell wall cellulose, abnormally large and in...

Virus-induced gene silencing has been suggested as a powerful and rapid technique for analysis of gene function in plant growth and development (Baulcombe, 1999). Infecting Nicotiana benthamiana with Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) containing a fragment of the gene encoding phytoene desaturase, an essential enzyme in carotene synthesis, results in a photo-bleached phenotype in photosynthetic tissues...