Control of white mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) through plant-mediated RNA interference

Abstract

The causative agent of white mold, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is capable of infecting over 600 plant species and is responsible for significant crop losses across the globe. Control is currently dependent on broad-spectrum chemical agents that can negatively impact the agroecological environment, presenting a need to develop alternative control measures. In this study, we developed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (AT1703) expressing hairpin (hp)RNA to silence S. sclerotiorum ABHYDROLASE-3 and slow infection through host induced gene silencing (HIGS). Leaf infection assays show reduced S. sclerotiorum lesion size, fungal load, and ABHYDROLASE-3 transcript abundance in AT1703 compared to wild-type Col-0. To better understand how HIGS influences host–pathogen interactions, we performed global RNA sequencing on AT1703 and wild-type Col-0 directly at the site of S. sclerotiorum infection. RNA sequencing data reveals enrichment of the salicylic acid (SA)-mediated systemic acquired resistance (SAR) pathway, as well as transcription factors predicted to regulate plant immunity. Using RT-qPCR, we identified predicted interacting partners of ABHYDROLASE-3 in the polyamine synthesis pathway of S. sclerotiorum that demonstrate co-reduction with ABHYDROLASE-3 transcript levels during infection. Together, these results demonstrate the utility of HIGS technology in slowing S. sclerotiorum infection and provide insight into the role of ABHYDROLASE-3 in the A. thaliana–S. sclerotiorum pathosystem.

Editing Metabolism, Sex, and Microbiome: How Can We Help Poplar Resist Pathogens?

“…causes root rot and vascular wilt [56]. B. cinerea causes gray rot, or gray mold [57], while S. sclerotinium causes white mold [58]. Thus, ascomycete pathogens cause cankers and lesions on fruits and leaves.…”

Designer antisense circRNAGFPreduces GFP protein abundance in transgenic Arabidopsis protoplasts in a sequence-specific manner, independent of RNAi pathways

“…In fact, SIGS applications may have some advantages over HIGS approaches because, at least in theory, the RNA agent can be adapted very quickly to combat very different biotic stresses. However, while SIGS applications show promising results in some examples (Koch et al, 2016; Sarkar et al, 2021; Walker et al, 2023; Wang et al, 2016; Werner et al, 2021), the type of RNAs used for the application, currently dsRNA and sRNA, are susceptible to degradation, especially if they are not protected by chemical formulations (Chu et al, 2023; Mitter et al, 2017). Moreover, the risk of genetic cross-resistance to the active compounds in the target microbe, pest or weed is a realistic scenario in which the RNAi components and uptake mechanisms are susceptible to counter-selection (Khajuria et al, 2018; Mishra et al, 2021; Šečić et al, 2021; Wytinck et al 2020).…”