FIGURE 4.

Functional characterization of TaMAPK4 after virus-induced gene silencing. (A) Phenotypic changes in the fourth leaves of plants pre-inoculated with positive control vector (BSMV-PDS), FES buffer (CK), or empty BSMV vector (BSMV-γ) at 14 days post-virus treatment. Phenotypes for the fourth leaves inoculated with Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) races CYR23, or CYR31 at 14 dpi. (B) Relative transcript levels of TaMAPK4 in TaMAPK4 knockdown leaves. RNA samples were isolated from TaMAPK4 knockdown leaves infected with Pst races CYR23 (left), or CYR31 (right). BSMV-γ leaves infected with Pst races CYR23, or CYR31 were used as control, respectively. (C) Biomass of Pst (CYR23) measured at 24 and 120 hpi. Means and standard deviations were calculated from three independent replicates. Significant differences were determined using Student’s t-test: ^∗P < 0.05.