Virus-Induced Gene Silencing in Wheat and Related Monocot Species

Advances made in genome sequencing projects and structural genomics are generating large repertoire of candidate genes in plants associated with specific agronomic traits. Rapid and high-throughput functional genomics approaches are therefore needed to validate the biological function of these genes especially for agronomically important crops beyond the few model plant species. This can be achieved by utilizing available gene knockout or transgenic methodologies, but these can take considerable time and effort particularly in crops with large and complex genomes such as wheat. Therefore, any tool that expedites the validation of gene function is of particular benefit especially in cereal crop plants that are genetically difficult to transform. One such reverse genetics tool is virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) which relies on the plants' natural antiviral RNA silencing defence mechanism. VIGS is used to downregulate target gene expression in a transient manner which persists long enough to determine its effect on a specific trait. VIGS based on Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) is rapid, powerful, efficient, and relatively inexpensive tool for the analysis of gene function in cereal species. Here we present detailed protocols for BSMV-mediated VIGS for robust gene silencing in bread wheat and related species.