biotechnology and plant disease control-role of rna interference生物技术和植物病害控制角色的rna干扰.pdfVIP

American Journal of Plant Sciences , 2010, 1, 55-68 55 doi:10.4236/ajps.2010.12008 Published Online December 2010 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/ajps) Biotechnology and Plant Disease Control-Role of RNA Interference 1* 2 3 Shabir H. Wani , Gulzar S. Sanghera , N. B. Singh 1Biotechnology Laboratory, Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India; 2Rice Research Regional Station (SKUAST-K) Khudwani, Anantnag Jammu and Kashmir, India; 3Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, COA, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur, India. * Email: shabirhussainwani@ Received July 10th, 2010; revised August 24th, 2010; accepted September 3rd, 2010. ABSTRACT Development of crop varieties which are resistant against many economically important diseases is a major challenge for plant biotechnologists worldwide. A lthough much progress in this area has been achieved through classical genetic approaches, this goal can be achieved in a more selective and robust manner with the success of genetic engineering techniques. In this regard, RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful modality for battling some of the most notoriously challenging diseases caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria. RNAi is a mechanism for RNA-guided regula- tion of gene expression in which double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) inhibits the expression of genes with com- plementary nucleotide sequences. The application of tissue-specific or inducible gene silencing in combination with the use of appropriate promoters to silence several genes simultaneously will result in protection of crops against destruc- tive pathogens. RNAi application has resulted in successful control of many economically important diseases in plants. Keywords : RNAi, Viruses,