Plant Small RNAs Responsive to Fungal Pathogen Infection

Accumulating evidence indicates that small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) can be transferred across species for interkingdom communication. In addition to the artificial transgene-derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) can also influence interacting organisms to execute a regulatory function. For instance, we have recently found that, in response to infection with Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae), cotton plants increase accumulation of miR166 and miR159, which can be exported to the fungal hyphae for specific silencing of virulence genes. These findings suggest a great potential for applying interkingdom mobile miRNAs for crop protection against fungal pathogens. The methods described here provide an approach to identify plant miRNAs and their potential targets in invading fungal pathogens, which will help in revealing the underlying mechanisms of these crosstalk phenomena.