Figure 1

Generation of transgenic tobacco expressing mC9 siRNAs. (A) mC9 transgene and siRNA expression. The mC9 siRNA cassette contains 400 bp mC9 sense and anti-sense sequences separated by the TGA1 intron (I) with expression by the CMV 35S promoter (35S) and NOS terminator. Transgene integrity for plants Tc9 #1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13 was verified via PCR (primer position indicated by black arrows) to detect sense (s) and anti-sense (as) transgene elements. Endogenous rbcL is control. For siRNA expression 30 μg of total RNA from wt tobacco or Tc9 transformants was analysed by Northern blotting. A 31 nt mC9 DNA oligo (m) is size marker and an overnight phosphor-image is shown. (B) In vivo gene silencing in Tc9 transformants. Transient transformation was performed by co-infiltration of tobacco wt, Tc9 #1 and #3 with plasmids expressing mC9 sense (pBmC9s) and EYFP transcripts (pBEYFP). Transcript levels in leaf regions were analysed 48 hr post-infiltration by Northern blotting (as described in materials and methods).