GSE31062
Profile of small interfering RNAs from cotton plants infected with the polerovirus Cotton leafroll dwarf virus
In response to infection, viral genomes are processed by Dicer-like (DCL) ribonuclease proteins into viral small RNAs (vsRNAs) of discrete sizes. vsRNAs are then used as guides for silencing the viral genome. The profile of vsRNAs produced during the infection process has been extensively studied for some group of viruses. However, nothing is known for members of the economically important family Luteoviridae, a group of phloem-restricted viruses. Here, the population of vsRNAs from cotton plants infected with Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV), a member of the genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae, is characterized.Deep sequencing of small RNAs (sRNAs) from CLRDV-infected cotton leaves was performed. Results showed 21-nt to 24-nt long vsRNAs matching all the viral genome, with a higher frequency of matches in the 3â?? region. Equivalent amounts of sense and antisense vsRNAs were found, and the 22-nt long small RNA class was the most prominent one. Looking for cotton Dcl transcripts levels during infection, we could observe that Dcl4 seems to be up-regulated, while Dcl2 seems to be down-regulated.This is the first report on the profile of sRNAs coming from a plant infected with a member of the family Luteoviridae. Our sequence data strongly suggest that virus-derived double-stranded RNA functions as one of the main precursors of vsRNAsOur results indicate that secondary structures of the viral RNAs are not the main source of the viRNAs observed, as suggested for other viruses. Judging by the profiled size classes, all cotton DCLs might be working to silence the virus. The possible causes for the unexpected high accumulation of 22-nt viRNAvsRNAs are discussed. CLRDV is the causal agent of worldwide cotton pathology named Cotton blue disease. Our results are an important contribution for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in this and related diseases. Overall design: Total RNA obtained from leaves of the cotton plant 5 days post-infection with Cotton leafrol dawrf virus (CLRDV) compared to not-infected control.