Open AccessA fungal effector suppresses the nuclear export of AGO1–miRNA complex to promote infection in plants
Author(s) -
Zhu C,
Jia-Hui Liu,
Jinyan Zhao,
Ting Liu,
Yun-Ya Chen,
Chun-Han Wang,
Zhong Hui Zhang,
HuiShan Guo,
ChengGuo Duan
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2114583119
Subject(s) - rna interference , effector , biology , microrna , verticillium dahliae , rna silencing , microbiology and biotechnology , small rna , function (biology) , argonaute , virulence , rna , gene , genetics , botany
Significance Increasing evidence demonstrates that small RNAs can serve as trafficking effectors to mediate bidirectional transkingdom RNA interference (RNAi) in interacting organisms, including plant–pathogenic fungi systems. Previous findings demonstrated that plants can send microRNAs (miRNAs) to fungal pathogenVerticillium dahliae to trigger antifungal RNAi. Here we report thatV. dahliae is able to secret an effector to the plant nucleus to interfere with the nuclear export of AGO1–miRNA complexes, leading to an inhibition in antifungal RNAi and increased virulence in plants. Thus, we reveal an antagonistic mechanism that can be exploited by fungal pathogens to counteract antifungal RNAi immunity via manipulation of plant small RNA function.