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Published on: October 6, 2020
Overexpression of OsAGO18 Promotes Early Seedling Development and Root Elongation in Rice
Cheng Tang1, Xiaoliang Shan2, Xinwei Liao1
1State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 211800, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
OsAGO18 regulates rice seedling growth by influencing auxin levels and cell wall organization. Upon fungal attack, its growth-promoting network is suppressed, shifting OsAGO18 to defense responses.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- RNA silencing mechanisms
- Plant-pathogen interactions
Background:
- Argonaute (AGO) proteins are key regulators of RNA silencing.
- OsAGO18's role in basal development and response to fungal stress is not fully understood.
- OsAGO18 localizes to both chloroplasts and processing bodies (P-bodies).
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the pleiotropic effects of OsAGO18 in rice.
- Analyze OsAGO18's transcriptomic behavior during fungal stress.
- Elucidate the molecular mechanisms linking OsAGO18 to growth and defense.
Main Methods:
- Transcriptomic network analysis of rice in response to *Magnaporthe oryzae*.
- Phenotypic evaluation of *OsAGO18* overexpression and mutant lines.
- Analysis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) accumulation.
- Investigating the interaction between OsAGO18, miR396d, and *OsGRF6*.
Main Results:
- The OsAGO18 co-expression network is linked to ribosome biogenesis and cell wall organization.
- This growth-related network is suppressed during *M. oryzae* infection, indicating a growth-to-defense transition.
- *OsAGO18* overexpression enhances seedling growth and root elongation via increased IAA.
- *ago18* mutants show normal growth due to genetic compensation.
- OsAGO18 may sequester miR396d, releasing repression of *OsGRF6* and activating auxin pathways.
Conclusions:
- OsAGO18 is a crucial regulator of early rice seedling development.
- OsAGO18 exhibits transcriptomic responsiveness to biotic stress.
- A molecular link exists between RNA regulation, rice growth, and defense coordination.
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