Novel vectors for retrotransposon-induced gene silencing in Magnaporthe oryzae

Abstract

Here we report a novel system to induce RNA silencing in Magnaportheoryzae using the retrotransposon MAGGY. The gene-silencing vector pSilent-MG carries a MAGGY variant with a unique cloning site in the 3′ UTR region and a geneticin-resistance cassette as a selection marker. A gene-silencing assay with a GFP gene revealed that pSilent-MG vectors induced gene silencing at a practical level. In the resulting GFP-silenced transformants, GFP siRNAs accumulated and DNA methylation increased in the GFP-expressing gene, implying that the vector could induce both transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing.