English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Cross-kingdom small RNA (sRNA) silencing has recently emerged as a mechanism facilitating fungal colonization and disease development. Here we characterized RNAi pathways in  Zymoseptoria tritici , a major fungal pathogen of wheat, and assessed their contribution to pathogenesis. Computational analysis of fungal sRNA and host mRNA sequencing datasets was used to define the global sRNA populations in  Z. tritici  and predict their mRNA targets in wheat. 389  in planta -induced sRNA loci were identified. sRNAs generated from some of these loci were predicted to target wheat mRNAs including those potentially involved in pathogen defense. However, molecular approaches failed to validate targeting of selected wheat mRNAs by fungal sRNAs. Mutant strains of  Z. tritici  carrying deletions of genes encoding key components of RNAi such as Dicer-like (DCL) and Argonaute (AGO) proteins were generated, and virulence bioassays suggested that these are dispensable for full infection of wheat. Nonetheless, our results did suggest the existence of non-canonical DCL-independent pathway(s) for sRNA biogenesis in  Z. tritici . dsRNA targeting essential fungal genes applied  in vitro  or generated from an RNA virus vector  in planta  in a procedure known as HIGS (Host-Induced Gene Silencing) was ineffective in preventing  Z. tritici  growth or disease. We also demonstrated that  Z. tritici  is incapable of dsRNA uptake. Collectively, our data suggest that RNAi approaches for gene function analyses in this fungal species and potentially also as a control measure may not be as effective as has been demonstrated for some other plant pathogenic fungi.

sRNA Profiling Combined With Gene Function Analysis Reveals a Lack of Evidence for Cross-Kingdom RNAi in the Wheat – Zymoseptoria tritici Pathosystem