[Peptide aptamer: a powerful potential tool in plant functional genomics]

Aptamer is a newly invented tool for gene interference in vivo with highly specificity. An aptamer is designed to specifically target a protein and inhibit its biochemical roles for ascertaining its biological functions. Here, we briefly review the major progress of peptide aptamer in validating gene function, and emphasize its promising application in both plant functional genomics and peptide-mediated broad-spectrum plant resistance to diverse phytoviruses. The strategies to overcome the potential risks are covered as well.