RNAi as an emerging approach to control Fusarium head blight disease and mycotoxin contamination in cereals
Open Access
- 22 November 2017
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Pest Management Science
- Vol. 74 (4), 790-799
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.4748
Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a major fungal pathogen of cereals worldwide, causing seedling, stem base and floral diseases, including Fusarium head blight (FHB). In addition to yield and quality losses, FHB contaminates cereal grain with mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol, which are harmful to human, animal and ecosystem health. Currently, FHB control is only partially effective due to several intractable problems. RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural mechanism that regulates gene expression. RNAi has been exploited in the development of new genomic tools that allow the targeted silencing of genes of interest in many eukaryotes. Host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) is a transgenic technology used to silence fungal genes in planta during attempted infection and thereby reduces disease levels. HIGS relies on the host plant's ability to produce mobile small interfering RNA molecules, generated from long double-stranded RNA, which are complementary to targeted fungal genes. These molecules are transferred from the plant to invading fungi via an uncharacterised mechanism, to cause gene silencing. Here, we describe recent advances in RNAi-mediated control of plant pathogenic fungi, highlighting the key advantages and disadvantages. We then discuss the developments and implications of combining HIGS with other methods of disease control. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.Keywords
Funding Information
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/J/00426X/1)
This publication has 64 references indexed in Scilit:
- Exogenous plant MIR168a specifically targets mammalian LDLRAP1: evidence of cross-kingdom regulation by microRNACell Research, 2011
- Biogenesis of a specialized plant-fungal interface during host cell internalization of Golovinomyces orontii haustoriaCellular Microbiology, 2010
- HIGS: Host-Induced Gene Silencing in the Obligate Biotrophic Fungal Pathogen Blumeria graminisPlant Cell, 2010
- Diverse Pathways Generate MicroRNA-like RNAs and Dicer-Independent Small Interfering RNAs in FungiMolecular Cell, 2010
- Chitin synthesis and fungal pathogenesisCurrent Opinion in Microbiology, 2010
- In vivo trans-specific gene silencing in fungal cells by in planta expression of a double-stranded RNABMC Biology, 2010
- Arabidopsis RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases and Dicer-Like Proteins in Antiviral Defense and Small Interfering RNA Biogenesis during Turnip Mosaic Virus InfectionPlant Cell, 2010
- Sterol 14α-demethylase cytochrome P450 (CYP51), a P450 in all biological kingdomsBiochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 2007
- DICER-LIKE 4 is required for RNA interference and produces the 21-nucleotide small interfering RNA component of the plant cell-to-cell silencing signalNature Genetics, 2005
- Mechanisms of gene silencing by double-stranded RNANature, 2004