title: Bidirectional cross-kingdom RNAi and fungal uptake of external RNAs confer plant protection.
abstract: Aggressive fungal pathogens such as Botrytis and Verticillium spp. cause severe crop losses worldwide. We recently discovered that Botrytis cinerea delivers small RNAs (Bc-sRNAs) into plant cells to silence host immunity genes. Such sRNA effectors are mostly produced by Botrytis cinerea Dicer-like protein 1 (Bc-DCL1) and Bc-DCL2. Here we show that expressing sRNAs that target Bc-DCL1 and Bc-DCL2 in Arabidopsis and tomato silences Bc-DCL genes and attenuates fungal pathogenicity and growth, exemplifying bidirectional cross-kingdom RNAi and sRNA trafficking between plants and fungi. This strategy can be adapted to simultaneously control multiple fungal diseases. We also show that Botrytis can take up external sRNAs and double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). Applying sRNAs or dsRNAs that target Botrytis DCL1 and DCL2 genes on the surface of fruits, vegetables and flowers significantly inhibits grey mould disease. Such pathogen gene-targeting RNAs represent a new generation of environmentally friendly fungicides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsin-Chu 300, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Feng-Mao
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart P H J
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Thomma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsin-Chu 300, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsien-Da
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Hailing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D020171:Botrytis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D057865:Plant Immunity; D034622:RNA Interference; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012331:RNA, Fungal; D018749:RNA, Plant