摘要：AbstractVirus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a genetic tool used to assess gene function. Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) is a VIGS vector commonly used to induce endogenous gene silencing in plants. However, there is no VIGS system established forCentaureaspp. We evaluated the effectiveness of a TRV-based VIGS system usingphytoene desaturase(PDS) as a reporter gene inCentaurea cyanus. Three methods including pressure-, vacuum- and apical meristem-infiltration were tested to infectC. cyanusseedlings. Photobleached leaves were only obtained using apical meristem-infiltration after a 14 d treatment. TheCcPDStranscripts in photobleached leaves were significantly reduced compared with that in green leaves treated with empty TRV. FourC. cyanuscultivars were tested to detect their VIGS responses, and ‘Dwarf Tom Pouce Blue’ was the most sensitive. The agro-infiltration condition was optimized by screening for the optimal seedling stage as well as the optimumAgrobacteriumdensity for efficient silencing. Seedlings with four true leaves and infiltration with anAgrobacteriumdensity of OD6000.5 were optimal conditions to obtain more photobleached leaves and more intense photobleached phenotype. The results demonstrated the feasibility of TRV-based VIGS for functional analysis of genes inC. cyanus.
