Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Scientific Correspondence
  • Published:

Systemic signalling in gene silencing

Nature volume 389, page 553 (1997) Cite this article

Abstract

Gene silencing in plants is a genetic control mechanism implicated in virus resistance1,2, genome maintenance3 and developmental control4. We describe here our recent discovery that there is a systemic signal that can mediate gene silencing. From the gene-specificity of the systemic silencing, we infer that the signal molecule is likely to be a nucleic acid.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Expression of GFP in transgenic N.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

References

  1. Covey, S. N., Al-Kaff, N. S., Langara, A. & Turner, D. S. Nature 385, 781–782 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ratcliff, F., Harrison, B. D. & Baulcombe, D. C. Science 276, 1558–1560 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Assaad, F. F., Tucker, K. L. & Signer, E. R. Plant Mol. Biol. 22, 1067–1085 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Boerjan, W., Bauw, G., van Montagu, M. & Inzé, D. Plant Cell 6, 1401–1414 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Haseloff, J., Siemering, K. R., Prasher, D. C. & Hodge, S. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 94, 2122–2127 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ream, W. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 27, 583–618 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Baulcombe, D. C., Chapman, S. N. & Santa Cruz, S. Plant J. 7, 1045–1053 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Jorgensen, R. A. Science 268, 686–691 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kunz, C., Hanspeter, S., Stam, M., Kooter, J. M. & Meins, F. J. Plant J. 10, 437–450 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Colney, NR4 7UH, Norwich, UK

    Olivier Voinnet & David C. Baulcombe

Authors
  1. Olivier Voinnet
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David C. Baulcombe
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Voinnet, O., Baulcombe, D. Systemic signalling in gene silencing. Nature 389, 553 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/39215

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/39215

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing