Establishment of TRV-mediated Gene Silencing and Application for Elucidating Functions of Anthocyanidin Reductase Gene HcANR in Kenaf ( Hibiscus Cannabinus L.)

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a potent way to study gene function in plants. In this study, a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-mediated gene silencing system (TRV-VIGS) was established with the phytoene desaturase (HcPDS) as the marker gene in kenaf. Firstly, the seed soak agroinoculation method of the VIGS system was explored. HcPDS gene silencing led to photobleaching phenotype in kenaf leaves. According to qRT-PCR analysis, photobleached leaves had significantly lower gene expression levels compared with the control. Secondly, an optimizing approach with leaf infiltration was used to improve silencing efficiency. After the kenaf leaves were injected with Agrobacterium cultures with OD600 0.8, the plants were cultivated in chamber growth at 24 °C with approximately 60