Virus-induced gene silencing and virus-induced flowering in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) using apple latent spherical virus vectors

Abstract

Viral vectors: Easy gene modification in strawberries Apple latent spherical virus (ALSV) offers a powerful tool to reveal strawberry gene function and induce early flowering. Preferential strawberry traits are highly influenced by their genetics; however, the specific mutations that change these traits are largely unknown. This prompted Nobuyuki Yoshikawa and his team from Iwate University, Japan, to develop ALSV to infect and introduce intended genetic material into strawberries. Infecting in vitro cultured plants at a rate of 58—100%, ALSV-vectored gene introduction proved able to ‘silence’ a natural strawberry gene, constituting a method to identify gene functions. The infection was not pathogenic and did not carry on to the plants’ progeny. The team also used ALSV to introduce a gene that induced flowering 2 months post inoculation, a technique that could be used in future to promote shorter cross-breeding times.