A mobile signal transported over a long distance induces systemic transcriptional gene silencing in a grafted partner
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Transient Gene Expression in Tobacco using Gibson Assembly and the Gene Gun
Published on: April 18, 2014
Songling Bai1, Atsushi Kasai, Kaori Yamada
1Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan.
Abstract:
Transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) can be induced by promoter-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA). Long-distance transmission of TGS by viral infection in plants has been reported. However, systemic TGS has not been observed in the case of using an inverted repeat transgene as the silencing trigger. Here it is reported that a mobile signal, presumably the siRNA, produced from a hairpin structure transgene controlled by a companion cell-specific promoter can also induce transmissible TGS in both a modified agroinfiltration and a grafting system. Although the transmissible TGS occurred only in cells located in the vicinity of a leaf vein in the scion, very strong silencing was observed in the root system, especially the lateral roots, including the root apical meristem. The transmissible TGS was maintained through tissue culture and subsequently inherited by the progeny. The results suggest the potential application of mobile promoter-targeting siRNA in horticulture for improvement of plant cultivars by grafting.
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Transposition and Recombination
Horizontal Gene Transfer
Transgenic Plants
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a DNA...
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...

