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Engineering broad root-knot resistance in transgenic plants by RNAi silencing of a conserved and essential root-knot nematode parasitism gene
September, 2006

Source: Proceedings ot the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Link: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/39/14302

Engineering broad root-knot resistance in transgenic plants by RNAi silencing of a conserved and essential root-knot nematode parasitism gene
Guozhong Huang*, Rex Allen*, Eric L. Davis, Thomas J. Baum, and Richard S. Hussey*
*Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7274; Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7616; and Department of Plant Pathology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
Edited by Maarten J. Chrispeels, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, and approved August 8, 2006 (received for review June 8, 2006)

ABSTRACT

Secreted parasitism proteins encoded by parasitism genes expressed in esophageal gland cells mediate infection and parasitism of plants by root-knot nematodes (RKN). Parasitism gene 16D10 encodes a conserved RKN secretory peptide that stimulates root growth and functions as a ligand for a putative plant transcription factor. We used in vitro and in vivo RNA interference approaches to silence this parasitism gene in RKN and validate that the parasitism gene has an essential function in RKN parasitism of plants. Ingestion of 16D10 dsRNA in vitro silenced the target parasitism gene in RKN and resulted in reduced nematode infectivity. In vivo expression of 16D10 dsRNA in Arabidopsis resulted in resistance effective against the four major RKN species. Because no known natural resistance gene has this wide effective range of RKN resistance, bioengineering crops expressing dsRNA that silence target RKN parasitism genes to disrupt the parasitic process represents a viable and flexible means of developing novel durable RKN-resistant crops and could provide crops with unprecedented broad resistance to RKN.


RELATED NEWS ARTICLE FROM CropBiotech

ENGINEERING ROOT-KNOT RESISTANCE IN PLANTS

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are the most economically important group of plant-parasitic nematodes worldwide, attacking nearly 2000 species of crop and fiber plants. The nematode invades plant roots, and by feeding on the roots’ cells, they cause the roots to grow large galls, or knots, damaging the crop and reducing its yields. Led by professor Richard Hussey, researchers from the University of Georgia, Iowa State University, and North Carolina State University engineered root-knot nematode resistance in transgenic plants by silencing or ‘knocking out’ an essential gene that causes the nematode to become parasitic. The result of their study is published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The research group described experiments to silence the parasitism gene 16D10 in root-knot nematode, and they confirm that the gene is essential for root-knot nematode to exhibit parasitism. In addition, expression of the same regulator for 16D10 in Arabidopsis resulted in resistance against the four major RKN species. The results of silencing of parasitism gene 16D10 in RKN could lead to the development of crops with broad resistance to this destructive pathogen.

Readers can access the full article, “Engineering broad root-knot resistance in transgenic plants by RNAi silencing of a conserved and essential root-knot nematode parasitism gene” at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/103/39/14302
For the abstract, visit http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/39/14302

PNAS abstract

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