Transient RNAi induction against endogenous genes in Arabidopsis protoplasts using in vitro-prepared double-stranded RNA.

RNA interference is a powerful technique for suppressing gene functions in many eukaryotes including plants. Here we show that introduction of double-stranded RNA into Arabidopsis protoplasts leads to marked silencing of endogenous genes, as observed previously for transgenes [Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 67, 2674-2677 (2003)]. This simple system should be useful for functional analysis of genes involved in fundamental cellular processes.