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Updated: Jun 9, 2026

VIGS-Mediated Forward Genetics Screening for Identification of Genes Involved in Nonhost Resistance

VIGS-Mediated Forward Genetics Screening for Identification of Genes Involved in Nonhost Resistance

Published on: August 23, 2013

Virus-induced gene silencing as a reverse genetics tool to study gene function.

Steven Bernacki¹, Mansour Karimi, Pierre Hilson

¹Department of Plant Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|August 25, 2010

Summary

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a powerful reverse genetics tool for plant research. It enables rapid gene knockdown, aiding in function discovery, especially in crops and for lethal genes.

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Area of Science:

Plant molecular biology
Genetics and genomics

Background:

Reverse genetics is crucial for understanding plant gene function.
Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism for plant research.
Traditional methods face challenges with transformation-recalcitrant species and embryo-lethal genes.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive overview of Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) as a reverse genetics tool.
To guide researchers in selecting or constructing VIGS vectors.
To outline effective experimental design and execution strategies for VIGS.

Main Methods:

Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) for transient gene knockdown.
Vector selection and construction for VIGS applications.
Experimental design for VIGS, including inoculation and phenotype analysis.

Main Results:

VIGS effectively reduces target gene expression in newly formed plant tissues.
VIGS is valuable for genes causing embryo lethality and in species difficult to transform.
VIGS facilitates rapid screening for RNA interference (RNAi) and high-throughput forward genetic screens.

Conclusions:

VIGS is a versatile and rapid method complementing other reverse genetics approaches.
It is particularly beneficial for crop species with limited genetic resources.
VIGS enables efficient comparative analysis of gene knockdowns across different plant genetic backgrounds.