Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2025
10:19
Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens
Published on: February 3, 2020
6.5K
Small RNA-based plant protection against diseases
Özlem Bilir1, Deniz Göl2, Yiguo Hong2,3
1Department of Biotechnology, Trakya Agricultural Research Institute, Edirne, Turkey.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|September 5, 2022
Summary
Small RNAs (sRNAs) offer eco-friendly crop protection by silencing pathogen genes. Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS) and Spray-Induced Gene Silencing (SIGS) are promising RNA interference strategies against plant diseases.
Area of Science:
- Plant pathology
- Molecular biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Plant diseases significantly reduce crop yield and quality, threatening food security.
- RNA interference (RNAi) pathways, involving small RNAs (sRNAs) like microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA), regulate gene expression.
- sRNAs can be utilized for environmentally friendly crop protection strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of sRNAs in combating plant pathogens.
- To discuss the application of Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS) and Spray-Induced Gene Silencing (SIGS) methods.
- To analyze the advantages and drawbacks of sRNA-based crop protection approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on sRNA-mediated gene silencing in plant-pathogen interactions.
- Focus on Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS) where plants produce sRNAs to silence pathogen genes.
- Focus on Spray-Induced Gene Silencing (SIGS) where exogenous sRNAs are applied to silence pathogen genes.
Main Results:
- sRNAs from host plants can enter pathogen cells and silence pathogen genes.
- HIGS and SIGS have demonstrated potential in controlling various plant pathogens.
- Both HIGS and SIGS leverage the natural RNA interference machinery for targeted gene silencing.
Conclusions:
- sRNA-based strategies like HIGS and SIGS represent a promising avenue for sustainable crop protection.
- These RNA interference methods offer an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pesticides.
- Further research is needed to optimize HIGS and SIGS for broad-scale agricultural application, considering their respective advantages and limitations.
Related Concept Videos
02:15Experimental RNAi
6.2K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
6.2K
01:23RNA Interference
26.3K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
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...
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...
26.3K
01:23Types of RNA
64.5K
Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
64.5K
02:30siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
16.9K
Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
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...
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...
16.9K
01:56Riboswitches
8.4K
Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
8.4K
01:29Translational Regulation
77
Translational regulation in prokaryotes ensures efficient protein synthesis by controlling ribosome access to mRNA. This regulation is mediated by secondary RNA structures, including translational riboswitches, RNA thermometers, and small RNAs (sRNAs), which respond to intracellular and environmental signals to modulate gene expression.Translational RiboswitchesRiboswitches in the leader region of mRNAs can regulate translation by altering the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence,...
77