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Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Bacterial Delivery of RNAi Effectors: Transkingdom RNAi
Published on: August 18, 2010
Trans-kingdom RNAs and their fates in recipient cells: advances, utilization, and perspectives
Jian-Hua Zhao1, Tao Zhang1, Qing-Yan Liu1
1State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Abstract:
The phenomenon and potential mechanisms of trans-kingdom RNA silencing (or RNA interference, RNAi) are among the most exciting topics in science today. Based on trans-kingdom RNAi, host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) has been widely applied to create crops with resistance to various pests and pathogens, overcoming the limitations of resistant cultivars. However, a lack of transformation technology in many crops limits the application of HIGS. Here, we describe the various fates of trans-kingdom RNAs in recipient organisms. Based on the assumption that small RNAs can be transferred between the host and its microbiome or among microbiome members, we propose a possible alternative strategy for plant protection against pathogens without the need for crop genetic modification.
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