RNA 'Information Warfare' in Pathogenic and Mutualistic Interactions.
Thomas Chaloner1, Jan A L van Kan2, Robert T Grant-Downton3
1The Queen's College, University of Oxford, High Street, Oxford, UK.
Trends in Plant Science
|June 20, 2016
Summary
Small RNAs move between organisms, acting as virulence factors in host-pathogen interactions. Extracellular vesicles likely facilitate this RNA
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Regulatory non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs, are crucial in plant immunity and defense.
- Small RNAs can move from plants to pathogens, and vice versa, influencing host-pathogen interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of trans-organism RNA movement in host-pathogen interactions.
- To investigate the potential of extracellular vesicles in mediating RNA translocation between organisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on small RNA functions in plant-pathogen interactions.
- Analysis of studies demonstrating RNA translocation across organism boundaries.
- Hypothesizing the role of extracellular vesicles in mediating these RNA transfer events.
Main Results:
- Small RNAs function as virulence factors, with pathogens delivering RNAs to suppress host defenses.
- Plant-derived small RNAs can also target pathogen transcripts.
- Extracellular vesicles are proposed as a mechanism for inter-organismal RNA transport.
Conclusions:
- Trans-organism RNA movement is a common regulatory mechanism in plant-eukaryote interactions.
- Extracellular vesicles are likely key mediators of this RNA 'information warfare'.
- Plant pathosystems offer valuable models for studying RNA-mediated interactions.
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