Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens
Published on: February 3, 2020
The interaction between plant viroid-induced symptoms and RNA silencing
Vicente Pallas1, German Martinez, Gustavo Gomez
1Instituto de Biologia Moleculaire y Celular de Plantas, Valencia, Spain. vpallas@ibmcp.upv.es
Abstract:
A large body of evidence has lead to the suggestive proposal of a potential interplay between viroid-induced pathogenesis and RNA silencing regulatory mechanisms. A variety of techniques have been used to examine this interaction. This chapter outlines the use of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) sensor, containing viroid-specific sequence targets to study this phenomenon. In addition, a symptomatic transgenic line of Nicotiana benthamiana that expresses and processes Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) is used as stocks in grafting assays with the rdr6i-Nb lines, in which the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 6 (NbRDR6) is constitutively silenced. The combination of the use of a viroid-specific GFP-sensor, the grafting assays with plants silenced for the RDR6 and the analysis of siRNAs allows to address how to monitor viroid-specific RNA silencing and how to associate this regulatory pathway with symptom expression.
Related Concept Videos
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
Experimental RNAi
RNA Interference
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
RNA Interference
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
Subviral Agents
Small interfering RNAs (siRNA)
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...

