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Host-delivered RNAi: an effective strategy to silence genes in plant parasitic nematodes

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Abstract

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are obligate, sedentary endoparasites that infect many plant species causing large economic losses worldwide. Available nematicides are being banned due to their toxicity or ozone-depleting properties and alternative control strategies are urgently required. We have produced transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants expressing different dsRNA hairpin structures targeting a root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) putative transcription factor, MjTis11. We provide evidence that MjTis11 was consistently silenced in nematodes feeding on the roots of transgenic plants. The observed silencing was specific for MjTis11, with other sequence-unrelated genes being unaffected in the nematodes. Those transgenic plants able to induce silencing of MjTis11, also showed the presence of small interfering RNAs. Even though down-regulation of MjTis11 did not result in a lethal phenotype, this study demonstrates the feasibility of silencing root-knot nematode genes by expressing dsRNA in the host plant. Host-delivered RNA interference-triggered (HD-RNAi) silencing of parasite genes provides a novel disease resistance strategy with wide biotechnological applications. The potential of HD-RNAi is not restricted to parasitic nematodes but could be adapted to control other plant-feeding pests.

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Abbreviations

dsRNA:

Double-stranded RNA

HD-RNAi :

Host-delivered RNA interference

RKN:

Root knot nematode

RNAi:

RNA interference

qRT-PCR :

Quantitative real time PCR

siRNA:

Small interfering RNA

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jenny Cobon (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) for technical assistance and advice with the nematode challenge experiments. We are grateful to the Washington University Genome Sequencing Centre Parasitic Nematode Sequencing Project for provision of the M. javanica Tis11 clone (rk10c12.y1), Dr. Peter Waterhouse (CSIRO) for the pHannibal plasmid and the silenced GUS transgenic tobacco lines and Dr. Bernie Carroll (University of Queensland) for the binary vector pUQC477. We thank Prof. Robert Birch and Lemise Kassim for their critical reading of the manuscript and Chris Brosnan for the advice on siRNA detection. This work was supported by a grant from the Australian Research Council (LP0211611) and Golden Circle Ltd.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

    David J. Fairbairn, Antonino S. Cavallaro, Janani Mahalinga-Iyer & José R. Botella

  2. Emerging Technologies Delivery, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia

    Margaret Bernard & Michael W. Graham

Authors
  1. David J. Fairbairn
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  2. Antonino S. Cavallaro
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  3. Margaret Bernard
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  4. Janani Mahalinga-Iyer
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  5. Michael W. Graham
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  6. José R. Botella
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Correspondence to José R. Botella.

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Fairbairn, D.J., Cavallaro, A.S., Bernard, M. et al. Host-delivered RNAi: an effective strategy to silence genes in plant parasitic nematodes. Planta 226, 1525–1533 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-007-0588-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-007-0588-x

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