Foliar-applied double-stranded RNA is mobile, transfers to plant pathogens, and triggers RNAi.

ABSTRACT: Foliar application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as RNA interference (RNAi)-based biopesticides represents a sustainable alternative to chemical-based crop protection strategies. A key feature of RNAi in plants is its ability to act non-cell autonomously, a process that plays a critical role in plant development and protection against pathogens. Whether RNAi induced by foliar dsRNA application acts non-cell autonomously remains debated, with the mechanisms and implications of this movement largely unexplored. We show that upon foliar application, dsRNA enters the leaf vasculature and moves to vegetative, reproductive, and belowground tissues in multiple plant species. Unprocessed mobile dsRNA was detected in the apoplast, being maintained in new growth, indicating apoplastic rather than s

SUBMITTER: Brosnan CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12784973 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature