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Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens
Published on: February 3, 2020
RH20, a phase-separated RNA helicase protein, facilitates plant resistance to viruses
Juan Huang1, Yiming Zhao1, Shasha Liu1
1State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Abstract:
RNA silencing, a conserved gene regulatory mechanism, is critical for host resistance to viruses. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is an important mechanism in regulating various biological processes. Emerging studies suggest RNA helicases play important roles in microRNA (miRNA) production through LLPS. In this study, we investigated the functional role of RNA helicase 20 (RH20), a DDX5 homolog in Arabidopsis thaliana, in RNA silencing and plant resistance to viruses. Our findings reveal that RH20 localizes in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, with puncta formation in the cytoplasm exhibiting liquid-liquid phase separation behavior. We demonstrate that RH20 plays positive roles in plant immunity against viruses. Further study showed that RH20 interacts with Argonaute 2 (AGO2), a key component of the RNA silencing pathway. Moreover, RH20 promotes the accumulation of both endogenous and exogenous small RNAs (sRNAs). Overall, our study identifies RH20 as a novel phase separation protein that interacting with AGO2, influencing sRNAs accumulation, and enhancing plant resistance to viruses.
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