Abstract
RNA silencing or RNA interference (RNAi) is an essential mechanism in animals, fungi, and plants that functions in gene regulation and defense against foreign nucleic acids. In fungi, RNA silencing has been shown to function primarily in defense against invasive nucleic acids. We previously determined that mycoviruses are triggers and targets of RNA silencing in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. However, recent progresses in RNAi or dsRNA-based pest control requires more detailed characterization of the RNA silencing pathways in S. sclerotiorum to investigate the utility of dsRNA-based strategy for white mold control. This study elucidates the roles of argonaute enzymes, agl-2 and agl-4, in small RNA metabolism in S. sclerotiorum. Gene disruption mutants of agl-2 and agl-4 were compared for changes in phenotype, virulence, viral susceptibility, and small RNA profiles. The ∆agl-2 mutant but not the ∆agl-4 mutant had significantly slower growth and virulence prior to virus infection. Similarly, the ∆agl-2 mutant but not the ∆agl-4 mutant, showed greater debilitation under virus infection compared to uninfected strains. The responses were confirmed in complementation studies and revealed the antiviral role of agl-2. Gene disruption mutants of agl-2, agl-4, Dicer-like (dcl)-1 and dcl-2 did not change the stability of the most abundant endogenous small RNAs, which suggests the existence of alternative enzymes/pathways for small RNA biogenesis in S. sclerotiorum. Furthermore, in vitro synthesized dsRNA targeting agl-2 showed a significantly reduced average lesion diameter (P<0.05) on canola leaves with agl-2 down-regulated compared to controls. This is the first report describing the effectiveness of RNA pesticides targeting S. sclerotiorum RNA silencing pathway for the control of the economically important pathogen.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
The agl-2 mutant had significantly slower growth before virus infection.
- Taxon
- canola
.jpg?width=60)
Brassica napus var. napuse1 - Material
- ∆agl-2 mutante0
- Outcome
- slower growthe0
- Direction
- slowere0
- Comparator
- ∆agl-4 mutante0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The ∆agl-2 mutant but not the ∆agl-4 mutant had significantly slower growth and virulence prior to virus infection.”
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”
e1“on canola leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
The agl-2 mutant had significantly lower virulence before virus infection.
- Taxon
- canolaBrassica napus var. napuse1
- Material
- ∆agl-2 mutante0
- Outcome
- virulencee0
- Direction
- slowere0
- Comparator
- ∆agl-4 mutante0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The ∆agl-2 mutant but not the ∆agl-4 mutant had significantly slower growth and virulence prior to virus infection.”
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”
e1“on canola leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
The agl-2 mutant showed greater debilitation under virus infection than uninfected strains.
- Taxon
- canolaBrassica napus var. napuse1
- Material
- ∆agl-2 mutante0
- Outcome
- debilitatione0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- uninfected strainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The ∆agl-2 mutant but not the ∆agl-4 mutant, showed greater debilitation under virus infection compared to uninfected strains.”
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”
e1“on canola leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Complementation supported an antiviral role for agl-2.
- Taxon
- canolaBrassica napus var. napuse1
- Gene
- agl-2e0
- Outcome
- antiviral rolee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The responses were confirmed in complementation studies and revealed the antiviral role of agl-2.”
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”
e1“on canola leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Disruption of agl-2, agl-4, dcl-1 and dcl-2 did not change stability of the most abundant endogenous small RNAs.
- Taxon
- canolaBrassica napus var. napuse1
- Treatment
- Gene disruption mutants of agl-2, agl-4, Dicer-like (dcl)-1 and dcl-2e0
- Outcome
- stability of the most abundant endogenous small RNAse0
- Direction
- did not changee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Gene disruption mutants of agl-2, agl-4, Dicer-like (dcl)-1 and dcl-2 did not change the stability of the most abundant endogenous small RNAs”
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”
e1“on canola leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
dsRNA targeting agl-2 reduced lesion diameter on canola leaves relative to controls.
- Taxon
- canolaBrassica napus var. napuse0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- in vitro synthesized dsRNA targeting agl-2e0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Sclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen - Gene
- agl-2e0
- Outcome
- average lesion diametere0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in vitro synthesized dsRNA targeting agl-2 showed a significantly reduced average lesion diameter (P<0.05) on canola leaves with agl-2 down-regulated compared to controls.”
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”
The same questions in other papers
double-stranded RNA · Sclerotinia sclerotiorum · Brassica napus (oilseed rape)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
in vitro · Sclerotinia sclerotiorum · Brassica napus (oilseed rape)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.