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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Virus-induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) in Nicotiana benthamiana and Tomato
Published on: June 10, 2009
[Virus-induced gene silencing as a tool for analysis of gene functions in plants]
Noriko Yamagishi1, Nobuyuki Yoshikawa
1Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University Morioka 020-8550, Japan.
Abstract:
Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a technology that exploits an RNA-mediated antivirus defense mechanism in plants and has been shown to have great potential in plant reverse genetics. When the virus vector carries sequences of plant genes, virus infection triggers VIGS that results in the degradation of endogenous mRNAs homologous to the plant genes. The system is well established in Nicotiana benthamiana and several reliable VIGS vectors have been developed for other plant species including important agricultural crops. Here, we describe the use of VIGS technology to determine gene function and plant virus vectors for induction of VIGS in plants.
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