Dicer-like proteins and their role in plant-herbivore interactions in Nicotiana attenuata

ABSTRACT: DICER-like proteins produce small RNAs that silence genes involved in development and defenses against viruses and pathogens. Which DCLs participate in plant-herbivore interactions remains unstudied. We identified four distinct DCL genes and stably silenced their expression by RNAi in Nicotiana attenuata, a model system for the study of plant-herbivore interactions. Silencing DCL1 expression was lethal to the plants. Manduca sexta larvae performed significantly better on ir-dcl3and ir-dcl4 plants, but not on ir-dcl2 plants compared to wild type plants. Phytohormones, defense metabolites and microarray analyses revealed that when DCL3 and DCL4 were silenced separately, herbivore resistance traits were regulated in distinctly different ways. Crossing of the lines revealed complex interaction

ORGANISM(S): Nicotiana attenuata

SUBMITTER: Klaus Gase 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-30124 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress