Host-induced silencing of Fusarium culmorum genes protects wheat from infection.

ABSTRACT: Plants producing antisense or double-stranded RNA molecules that target specific genes of eukaryotic pests or pathogens can become protected from their attack. This beneficial effect was also reported for plant-fungus interactions and is believed to reflect uptake of the RNAs by the fungus via an as yet unknown mechanism, followed by target gene silencing. Here we report that wheat plants pre-infected with Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) strains containing antisense sequences against target genes of the Fusarium head blight (FHB) fungus F. culmorum caused a reduction of corresponding transcript levels in the pathogen and reduced disease symptoms. Stable transgenic wheat plants carrying an RNAi hairpin construct against the β-1, 3-glucan synthase gene FcGls1 of F. culmorum or a triple com

SUBMITTER: Chen W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5014151 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature