Gene silencing as an adaptive defence against viruses.
Gene silencing was perceived initially as an unpredictable and inconvenient side effect of introducing transgenes into plants. It now seems that it is the consequence of accidentally triggering the plant's adaptive defence mechanism against viruses and transposable elements. This recently discovered mechanism, although mechanistically different, has a number of parallels with the immune system of mammals.
Waterhouse
P M
PM
CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra, ACT, Australia. peterw@pi.csiro.au
Wang
M B
MB
Lough
T
T
D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008745:Methylation; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D010942:Plant Viruses / Q000502:physiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012260:Ribonucleases