Abstract:

Hairpin RNA (hpRNA) can induce post-transcriptional gene silencing, and was constructed with 128-754 bp of segment 8 of rice dwarf virus then placed under the control of the CaMV35S promoter and used to transform rice cultivar “Zhonghua 11” via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A total of 12 independent lines containing hpRNA were obtained as demonstrated by Southern blotting analysis. Challenge inocula-tion with rice dwarf virus (RDV) viruliferous leafhoppers (Nephotettix cincticeps) showed that T1 plants containing the hpRNA transgene displayed high resistance or delayed and attenuated viral symptoms. In contrast, transgenic lines expressing sense RNA showed severe symptoms similar to control plants trans-formed with the vector alone. These results suggest that hpRNA confers high resistance to RDV in transgenic rice.

Key words: post-transcriptional gene silencing, rice dwarf virus, hairpin RNA, transgenic rice