Abstract
A spray containing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules can inhibit the growth of a notorious fungal pest, according to a new study of barley plants (PLOS Pathog. 2016, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005901). Such RNA sprays may provide an alternative strategy to traditional chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops for combating agricultural pests. Karl-Heinz Kogel of Justus Liebig University Giessen and colleagues created an RNA that turns off a gene in Fusarium graminearum, a pest of corn, wheat, and barley that reduces crop yields and produces toxins that can contaminate the food supply. Common weapons against this fungus include compounds that block CYP51 enzymes responsible for producing ergosterol, the essential cholesterol analog in fungus. Kogel’s team blocked ergosterol formation in fungi with a dsRNA that bound CYP51 gene transcripts. Simply spritzing barley leaves with the dsRNA reduced expression of the CYP51 gene by about 50%. “We were expecting that the dsRNA would be immediately
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Claims 2
Claim · model-written summary
Spraying barley leaves with dsRNA reduced fungal CYP51 gene expression by about 50%.
- Taxon
- barley
.jpg?width=60)
Hordeum vulgaree1 - Treatment
- spritzing barley leaves with the dsRNAe1
- Interactor
- Fusarium graminearum
_on_Corn_(Zea_mays)_at_Waimea%2C_Hawaii.jpg?width=60)
Fusarium graminearume2pathogen - Gene
- CYP51 genee1
- Outcome
- expression of the CYP51 genee1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- about 50%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
_on_Corn_(Zea_mays)_at_Waimea%2C_Hawaii.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Kogel’s team blocked ergosterol formation in fungi with a dsRNA that bound CYP51 gene transcripts.”
e1“Simply spritzing barley leaves with the dsRNA reduced expression of the CYP51 gene by about 50%.”
e2“a gene in Fusarium graminearum, a pest of corn, wheat, and barley”
Claim · model-written summary
The dsRNA blocked ergosterol formation in fungi.
- Taxon
- barleyHordeum vulgaree1
- Treatment
- dsRNAe0
- Interactor
- Fusarium graminearumFusarium graminearume1pathogen
- Gene
- CYP51 genee0
- Outcome
- ergosterol formation in fungie0
- Direction
- blockede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Kogel’s team blocked ergosterol formation in fungi with a dsRNA that bound CYP51 gene transcripts.”
e1“a gene in Fusarium graminearum, a pest of corn, wheat, and barley”
The same questions in other papers
double-stranded RNA · Fusarium graminearum · Hordeum vulgare (barley)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.