Nicotiana benthamiana: Its History and Future as a Model for Plant–Pathogen Interactions

Abstract

Nicotiana benthamiana is the most widely used experimental host in plant virology, due mainly to the large number of diverse plant viruses that can successfully infect it. Additionally, N. benthamiana is susceptible to a wide variety of other plant-pathogenic agents (such as bacteria, oomycetes, fungi, and so on), making this species a cornerstone of host-pathogen research, particularly in the context of innate immunity and defense signaling. Moreover, because it can be genetically transformed and regenerated with good efficiency and is amenable to facile methods for virus-induced gene silencing or transient protein expression, N. benthamiana is rapidly gaining popularity in plant biology, particularly in studies requiring protein localization, interaction, or plant-based systems for protein expression and purification. Paradoxically, despite being an indispensable research model, little is known about the origins, genetic variation, or ecology of the N. benthamiana accessions currently used by the research community. In addition to addressing these latter topics, the purpose of this review is to provide information regarding sources for tools and reagents that can be used to support research in N. benthamiana. Finally, we propose that N. benthamiana is well situated to become a premier plant cell biology model, particularly for the virology community, who as a group were the first to recognize the potential of this unique Australian native.

The NSs Protein of Tomato spotted wilt virus Is Required for Persistent Infection and Transmission by Frankliniella occidentalis

“…In all the isolates we monitored, a functional NSs was important for abundant virus titer in D. stramonium. Such a strict requirement could come from its role as a silencing suppressor, which is important in hosts in which such defense is very active (datura and pepper in our experimental system) but is less relevant in N. benthamiana, in which silencing defense is somewhat impaired (42,43). Such a difference was recently pointed out in comparison of siRNA profiles of TSWV-infected N. benthamiana and tomato plants: small RNAs (21 to 22 nucleotides) were much less abundant in the former host (44).…”

<i>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</i>-Mediated Transformation of Wild Tobacco Species <i>Nicotiana debneyi</i>, <i>Nicotiana clevelandii</i>, and <i>Nicotiana glutinosa</i>

“…N. tabacum (2n = 4x = 48) is an amphidiploid of interspecific hybrids and a desirable model plant for studying fundamental biological processes through functional genomics and biotechnology approaches [3]- [5]. Allotetraploid N. benthamiana (2n = 4x = 38) is widely used for studying plant-microbe interactions and functional gene analyses through virus-induced gene silencing [6] [7]. Draft genome sequences for both N. tabacum and N. benthamiana have been released [5] [7].…”

Differentially expressed genes in healthy and plum pox virus-infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants

“…It is a non-natural host, not evolutionary adapted to PPV infection. However, there are several benefi ts of this artifi cial virus-host system (Goodin et al, 2008). Th e infection is systemic and PPV is relatively uniformly spread in all host tissues few days aft er infection (contrary to Prunus spp.…”

“…benthamiana is a model species widely used in plant virology because of its sensitivity to a broad spectrum of viruses, usually systemic infection and easy maintenance (Goodin et al, 2008). It is a proper propagative host also for viruses naturally infecting perennial plants, such as plum pox virus (PPV).…”