Host induced gene silencing of the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ABHYDROLASE-3 gene reduces disease severity in Brassica napus.

ABSTRACT: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a pathogenic fungus that infects hundreds of crop species, causing extensive yield loss every year. Chemical fungicides are used to control this phytopathogen, but with concerns about increasing resistance and impacts on non-target species, there is a need to develop alternative control measures. In the present study, we engineered Brassica napus to constitutively express a hairpin (hp)RNA molecule to silence ABHYRDOLASE-3 in S. sclerotiorum. We demonstrate the potential for Host Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS) to protect B. napus from S. sclerotiorum using leaf, stem and whole plant infection assays. The interaction between the transgenic host plant and invading pathogen was further characterized at the molecular level using dual-RNA sequencing and at the anatomi

SUBMITTER: Wytinck N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9417021 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature