拟禾本科根结线虫A-to-I RNA编辑及在线虫寄生中的作用机制

RNA编辑在RNA水平上改变遗传信息，使基因获得新的结构和功能，广泛存在于各种生物中，在病原致病过程中也发挥作用。然而，还未见植物线虫RNA编辑的报道。我们之前研究发现一个促进拟禾本科根结线虫寄生的效应蛋白基因MgMO603，该基因在线虫寄生阶段发生RNA编辑，暗示拟禾本科根结线虫可能会通过RNA编辑调控效应蛋白基因以促进寄生。我们进一步对该线虫的基因组和转录组进行测序比较，结果发现线虫发生大量的RNA编辑，尤其是A-to-I RNA编辑。因此，本项目拟通过原位杂交、RNAi、基因过表达等方法筛选1~2个促进线虫寄生的A-to-I RNA编辑效应蛋白基因。再利用酵母双杂、Co-IP、CRISPR/Cas9等技术研究它们在植物中的互作蛋白，从而揭示A-to-I RNA编辑在线虫寄生中的作用机制。本项目首次进行植物线虫RNA编辑研究，为今后利用A-to-I RNA编辑系统防治植物线虫奠定基础。

RNA-editing is a post-transcriptional process that changes the genetic information at the RNA level, so that genes can acquire new structures and functions, which occurs in various organisms and can play a role in pathogenic progress. However RNA editing has not been reported in plant-parasitic nematodes. Before the project, an effector gene MgMO603 from Meloidogyne gramnicola was found to promote parasitism of M. graminicola and RNA editing of MgMO603 occurred in the parasitic stage juvenile, suggesting that M. graminicola may enhance parasitic ability by regulating their effector genes with RNA editing. Based on this, the genome and transcriptome of M. graminicola were sequenced, and the comparative analysis of the sequences showed the nematode possesses abundant RNA editing sites, especially A-to-I RNA editing. Therefore, the following research contents of this project would be: to screen one or two M. graminicola effector genes with A-to-I RNA editing that promote nematode parasitism by using in situ hybridization, RNAi, over-expression, etc.; to study their interactors in plants and the function of these interactors by using yeast two hybrid, Co-IP, CRISPR/Cas9 and other technologies; then to demonstrate the role of A-to-I RNA editing in nematode parasitism. The present project is the first time to study RNA editing of plant-parasitic nematodes, laying foundation for controlling plant-parasitic nematodes by utilizing the A-to-I RNA editing system in plant-parasitic nematodes.