Artificially induced phased siRNAs promote virus resistance in transgenic plants

Virology. 2019 Nov:537:208-215. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2019.08.032. Epub 2019 Aug 31.

Abstract

We previously developed transgenic tobacco plants that were resistant to two geminiviruses. We generated resistance using RNAi constructs that produced trans-acting siRNA (tasiRNA) like secondary siRNAs known as phased siRNA (phasiRNA) that targeted several regions of Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV) and Tomato Leaf Curl Gujarat Virus (ToLCGV) transcripts encoding the RNA silencing suppressor proteins AC2 and AC4. Here, we performed degradome analysis to determine the precise cleavage sites of RNA-RNA interaction between phasiRNA and viral transcripts. We then applied our RNAi technology in tomato, which is the natural host for ToLCNDV and ToLCGV. The relative ease of developing and using phasiRNA constructs represents a significant technical advance in imparting virus resistance in crops and/or important model systems.

Keywords: Geminivirus; Tobacco; Tomato; Virus; microRNA; siRNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Begomovirus / genetics
  • Begomovirus / immunology*
  • Disease Resistance*
  • Immunologic Factors / genetics
  • Immunologic Factors / metabolism*
  • Nicotiana / genetics
  • Nicotiana / immunology
  • Nicotiana / virology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / immunology*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / virology*
  • RNA Stability
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism*
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Solanum lycopersicum / genetics
  • Solanum lycopersicum / immunology
  • Solanum lycopersicum / virology

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNA, Viral