A new level of RNA-based plant protection: dsRNAs designed from functionally characterized siRNAs highly effective against Cucumber mosaic virus.

ABSTRACT: RNA-mediated crop protection increasingly becomes a viable alternative to agrochemicals that threaten biodiversity and human health. Pathogen-derived double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are processed into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which can then induce silencing of target RNAs, e.g. viral genomes. However, with currently used dsRNAs, which largely consist of undefined regions of the target RNAs, silencing is often ineffective: processing in the plant generates siRNA pools that contain only a few functionally effective siRNAs (esiRNAs). Using an in vitro screen that reliably identifies esiRNAs from siRNA pools, we identified esiRNAs against Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), a devastating plant pathogen. Topical application of esiRNAs to plants resulted in highly effective protection against mas

SUBMITTER: Knoblich M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11904787 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature