RNAi-Based Biofungicides as a Promising Next-Generation Strategy for Controlling Devastating Gray Mold Diseases

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Botrytis cinerea causes significant agro-economic losses globally, inducing gray mold in over 1000 plant species.
• Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) play dual roles in host immunity and pathogen virulence, with B. cinerea utilizing both host RNAi machinery and its own siRNA effectors.
• RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms are integral to B. cinerea-host interactions, influencing disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the RNAi-mediated regulation of host immunity and susceptibility in Botrytis cinerea-host interactions.
• To explore the potential of RNAi-based biofungicides, particularly spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), for gray mold disease control.
• To identify limitations in current knowledge regarding SIGS for field applications against B. cinerea.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on RNAi mechanisms in B. cinerea.
• Analysis of studies on RNAi-based biofungicides, including double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) applications.
• Examination of spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) and host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) strategies.

Main Results:

• B. cinerea employs siRNAs and host RNAi to facilitate gray mold.
• RNAi-based biofungicides, using dsRNA to target essential fungal genes, are an emerging control strategy.
• SIGS demonstrates potential for mitigating both pre- and post-harvest B. cinerea infections.

Conclusions:

• RNAi plays a critical role in B. cinerea pathogenesis and host defense.
• SIGS presents a promising, alternative approach to conventional fungicides for managing gray mold.
• Further research is needed to address the limitations of SIGS for effective field deployment against B. cinerea.