Host-induced gene silencing of an essential chitin synthase gene confers durable resistance to Fusarium head blight and seedling blight in wheat.
Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) of wheat, caused by Fusarium pathogens, are devastating diseases worldwide. We report the expression of RNA interference (RNAi) sequences derived from an essential Fusarium graminearum (Fg) virulence gene, chitin synthase (Chs) 3b, as a method to enhance resistance of wheat plants to fungal pathogens. Deletion of Chs3b was lethal to Fg; disruption of the other Chs gene family members generated knockout mutants with diverse impacts on Fg. Comparative expression analyses revealed that among the Chs gene family members, Chs3b had the highest expression levels during Fg colonization of wheat. Three hairpin RNAi constructs corresponding to the different regions of Chs3b were found to silence Chs3b in transgenic Fg strains. Co-expression of these three RNAi constructs in two independent elite wheat cultivar transgenic lines conferred high levels of stable, consistent resistance (combined type I and II resistance) to both FHB and FSB throughout the T3 to T5 generations. Confocal microscopy revealed profoundly restricted mycelia in Fg-infected transgenic wheat plants. Presence of the three specific short interfering RNAs in transgenic wheat plants was confirmed by Northern blotting, and these RNAs efficiently down-regulated Chs3b in the colonizing Fusarium pathogens on wheat seedlings and spikes. Our results demonstrate that host-induced gene silencing of an essential fungal chitin synthase gene is an effective strategy for enhancing resistance in crop plants under field test conditions.
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Wei
W
Cheng
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Xiu-Shi
XS
Song
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
He-Ping
HP
Li
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Le-Hui
LH
Cao
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Ke
K
Sun
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Xiao-Li
XL
Qiu
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Yu-Bin
YB
Xu
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Peng
P
Yang
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Tao
T
Huang
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Jing-Bo
JB
Zhang
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Bo
B
Qu
Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory of Triticeae Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.|National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
Yu-Cai
YC
Liao
D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005670:Fusarium; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D057865:Plant Immunity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D036226:Seedlings / Q000502:physiology; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D002687:Chitin Synthase
Fusarium graminearum; RNAi; Triticum aestivum; chitin synthase