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The RNA-binding domain of DCL3 is required for long-distance RNAi signaling.

ABSTRACT: Small RNA (sRNA)-mediated RNA silencing (also known as RNA interference, or RNAi) is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotes that includes RNA degradation, DNA methylation, heterochromatin formation and protein translation repression. In plants, sRNAs can move either cell-to-cell or systemically, thereby acting as mobile silencing signals to trigger noncell autonomous silencing. However, whether and what proteins are also involved in noncell autonomous silencing have not been elucidated. In this study, we utilized a previously reported inducible RNAi plant, PDSi, which can induce systemic silencing of the endogenous PDS gene, and we demonstrated that DCL3 is involved in systemic PDS silencing through its RNA binding activity. We confirmed that the C-terminus of DCL3, including the predicted RNA-binding domain, is capable of binding short RNAs. Mutations affecting RNA binding, but not processing activity, reduced systemic PDS silencing, indicating that DCL3 binding to RNAs is required for the induction of systemic silencing. Cucumber mosaic virus infection assays showed that the RNA-binding activity of DCL3 is required for antiviral RNAi in systemically noninoculated leaves. Our findings demonstrate that DCL3 acts as a signaling agent involved in noncell autonomous silencing and an antiviral effect in addition to its previously known function in the generation of 24-nucleotide sRNAs.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-023-00124-6.

SUBMITTER: Li J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10987413 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The RNA-binding domain of DCL3 is required for long-distance RNAi signaling.

Li Jie J Zhang Bo-Sen BS Wu Hua-Wei HW Liu Cheng-Lan CL Guo Hui-Shan HS Zhao Jian-Hua JH

aBIOTECH 20231128 1

Small RNA (sRNA)-mediated RNA silencing (also known as RNA interference, or RNAi) is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotes that includes RNA degradation, DNA methylation, heterochromatin formation and protein translation repression. In plants, sRNAs can move either cell-to-cell or systemically, thereby acting as mobile silencing signals to trigger noncell autonomous silencing. However, whether and what proteins are also involved in noncell autonomous silencing have not been elucidated. In this stu ...[more]

PMID: 38576436

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The RNA-binding domain of DCL3 is required for long-distance RNAi signaling.

Supplementary information

Publications

The RNA-binding domain of DCL3 is required for long-distance RNAi signaling.

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