Combined Activity of DCL2 and DCL3 Is Crucial in the Defense against Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid.

ABSTRACT: Viroids are self replicating non-coding RNAs capable of infecting a wide range of plant hosts. They do not encode any proteins, thus the mechanism by which they escape plant defenses remains unclear. RNAi silencing is a major defense mechanism against virus infections, with the four DCL proteins being principal components of the pathway. We have used Nicotiana benthamiana as a model to study Potato spindle tuber viroid infection. This viroid is a member of the Pospiviroidae family and replicates in the nucleus via an asymmetric rolling circle mechanism. We have created knock-down plants for all four DCL genes and their combinations. Previously, we showed that DCL4 has a positive effect on PSTVd infectivity since viroid levels drop when DCL4 is suppressed. Here, we show that PSTVd levels re

SUBMITTER: Katsarou K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5061435 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature