Fig. 1

Morphological phenotypes of N. benthamiana plants, 4 weeks post inoculation with the control vector clbv3’ (a) and clbv3’-NbenIDA construct (c). In plants inoculated with the clbv3’ vector, the base of the necrotic corolla tubes has completely disappeared in advanced stages of flower development. In these plants, the necrotic corolla tubes are only weakly held by the pointed apical end of the capsule (b). In plants inoculated with clbv3’-NbenIDA construct, necrotic corolla tubes remain attached to flowers (d). This feature is clearly distinguishable in a close-up of a silenced flower in which the sepals have been removed showing that the necrotic corolla tube is still attached to the receptacle. The morphological phenotype of plants inoculated with the clbv3’-NbenHAE construct was identical to those plants inoculated with the clbv3’-NbenIDA construct