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Updated: May 24, 2026

Virus-induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) in Nicotiana benthamiana and Tomato
Published on: June 10, 2009
Virus-induced gene silencing and its application in plant functional genomics
Changjun Huang1, Yajuan Qian, Zhenghe Li
1State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Abstract:
Virus-induced gene silencing is regarded as a powerful and efficient tool for the analysis of gene function in plants because it is simple, rapid and transformation-free. It has been used to perform both forward and reverse genetics to identify plant functional genes. Many viruses have been developed into virus-induced gene silencing vectors and gene functions involved in development, biotic and abiotic stresses, metabolism, and cellular signaling have been reported. In this review, we discuss the development and application of virus-induced gene silencing in plant functional genomics.
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