Spraying of dsRNA molecules derived from Phytophthora infestans, along with nanoclay carriers as a proof of concept for developing novel protection strategy for potato late blight. Issue 7 (18th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: S, Sundaresha; Sharma, Sanjeev; Bairwa, Aarti; Tomar, Maharishi; Kumar, Ravinder; Bhardwaj, Vinay; Jeevalatha, A.; Bakade, Rahul; Salaria, Neha; Thakur, Kajal; Singh, Bir Pal; Chakrabarti, S. K.
• Is Part Of: Pest management science. Volume 78:Issue 7(2022)
• Page Start: 3183
• Page End: 3192
• Publication Date: 2022-05-18
• Subjects: double‐stranded RNA -- nanoclay -- Phytophthora infestans -- potato -- spray‐induced gene silencing (SIGS); Pests -- Control -- Periodicals; Pesticides -- Periodicals; 632.9
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.6949
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1526-498X

Abstract

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Phytophthora infestans is a late blight‐causing oomycetes pathogen. It rapidly evolves and adapts to the host background and new fungicide molecules within a few years of their release, most likely because of the predominance of transposable elements in its genome. Frequent applications of fungicides cause environmental concerns. Here, we developed target‐specific RNA interference (RNAi)‐based molecules, along with nanoclay carriers, that when sprayed on plants are capable of effectively reducing late blight infection. RESULTS: Targeted the genes unique to sporulation, early satge infection and the metabolism pathway stages based on in an our own microarray data. We used nanoclay as a carrier for sorbitol dehydrogenase, heat shock protein 90, translation elongation factor 1‐α, phospholipase‐D like 3 and glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐anchored acidic serine–threonine‐rich HAM34‐like protein double‐stranded (ds)RNAs, which were assessed by culture bioassay, detached leaf assay and spray methods, and revealed a reduction in growth, sporulation and symptom expression. Plants sprayed with multigene targeted dsRNA–nanoclay showed enhanced disease resistance (4% disease severity) and less sporulation (<1 × 10 3 ) compared with plants sprayed with dsRNA alone. CONCLUSION: The use of nanoclay with multigene targeted dsRNA was assumed to be involved in effective delivery, protection and boosting the action of RNAi as a spray‐induced gene silencing approach (SIGS). A significant reduction in growth, sporulation, disease severity and decreased gene expression authenticates the effects of SIGS on late blight progression. This study demonstrated as a proof of concept the dsRNA–nanoclay SIGS approach, which could be used as an alternative to chemical fungicides and transgenic approaches to develop an environmentally friendly novel plant protection strategy for late blight. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. Abstract : A dsRNA–nanoclay carrier molecule targeted the suppression of Phytophthora infestans sporulation, metabolism and infection process genes, causing a significant reduction in pathogen growth, sporulation and late blight disease symptoms in potato. In future, this research could lead to the development of a novel protection strategy in the field of agriculture.