Novel biogenesis and function of small RNAs derived from a plant pathogen

植物病原体小RNA的新生物合成和功能

• 批准号: 0515745
• 负责人: Biao Ding
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Ohio State University Research Foundation -DO NOT USE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-03-01 至 2007-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0515745&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Novel; biogenesis; function; small; RNAs

RNA plays an important role in transferring genetic information from DNA to protein during gene expression that is key to growth and development of a plant or animal. Recent studies have discovered that RNA itself has many novel biological roles apart from participating in protein synthesis. Some RNAs can control the expression of certain genes that is important for development and physiology of many organisms. Small RNAs of approximately 20 nucleotides produced from plant viruses and viroids during infection are believed to guide a host defense system to suppress the replication of these pathogens. It is hypothesized that some small RNAs derived from plant viruses and viroids can also regulate expression of selective host genes to promote infection and cause diseases. This novel concept implies that viral pathogens do not only use proteins, but also use small RNAs, to manipulate host metabolism to achieve infection. This hypothesis will be tested by investigating the formation and function of small RNAs derived from Potato spindle tuber viroid during infection as a model system. Combined genetic and biochemical experiments will be used to determine the molecular pathway that produces these small RNAs. Further biochemical and molecular experiments will be conducted to determine whether these small RNAs can regulate the expression of selected host genes and whether altered expression of a host gene contributes to symptom development. Results from these investigations will provide important information to advance understanding of how plant pathogens accomplish infection and causes diseases in an infected plant. They may also provide useful information to study the role of RNA during infection of animals and humans by viruses. Finally, the results may provide valuable clues to develop novel RNA-based tools to study gene functions in plants.

RNA在基因表达过程中将遗传信息从DNA转移到蛋白质中起着重要作用，这是植物或动物生长和发育的关键。近年来的研究发现，RNA除了参与蛋白质合成外，还具有许多新的生物学功能。一些RNA可以控制某些基因的表达，这些基因对许多生物体的发育和生理都很重要。在感染期间由植物病毒和类病毒产生的约20个核苷酸的小RNA被认为指导宿主防御系统抑制这些病原体的复制。植物病毒和类病毒来源的小分子RNA也可以调控选择性寄主基因的表达，从而促进植物的侵染和致病。这一新概念意味着病毒病原体不仅使用蛋白质，而且还使用小RNA来操纵宿主代谢以实现感染。这一假设将通过研究来源于马铃薯纺锤块茎类病毒的小RNA在感染过程中作为模型系统的形成和功能来检验。结合遗传和生物化学实验将用于确定产生这些小RNA的分子途径。将进行进一步的生物化学和分子实验，以确定这些小RNA是否可以调节选定的宿主基因的表达，以及宿主基因的表达改变是否有助于症状的发展。这些调查的结果将提供重要的信息，以促进了解植物病原体如何完成感染，并在受感染的植物中引起疾病。它们也可能为研究RNA在病毒感染动物和人类过程中的作用提供有用的信息。最后，这些结果可能为开发新的基于RNA的工具来研究植物基因功能提供有价值的线索。