RNAi Expression Vectors in Plant Cells

Suppression by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of expression of a target gene is known as RNA interference (RNAi). Tobacco BY-2 cell suspension has been used as a model cultured plant cell, because it is possible to produce populations of tobacco BY-2 cell suspensions that are uniform and divide synchronously for functional gene analysis. Here, we describe a method to induce RNAi by introducing a hairpin-type dsRNA expression vector into BY-2 cells via electroporation. This methodology should facilitate the analysis of individual gene function in plant cells.