J Integr Plant Biol ›› 2022, Vol. 64 ›› Issue (11): 2187-2198.DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13353

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  • 收稿日期:2022-06-22 接受日期:2022-08-26 出版日期:2022-11-01 发布日期:2022-11-17

BioClay™ prolongs RNA interference-mediated crop protection against Botrytis cinerea

Jonatan Niño‐Sánchez1,2,3*, Prabhakaran T. Sambasivam4, Anne Sawyer5,6, Rachael Hamby1, Angela Chen1, Elizabeth Czislowski6,7, Peng Li8, Narelle Manzie5, Donald M. Gardiner5, Rebecca Ford6, Zhi Ping Xu8, Neena Mitter6* and Hailing Jin1*   

  1. 1 Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology, Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, RiversideCalifornia, 92521, USA
    2 Department of Plant Production and Forest Resources, University of Valladolid, Palencia 34004, Spain
    3 iuFOR‐ Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, University of Valladolid–INIA, Palencia 34004, Spain
    4 Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia
    5 School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
    6 Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Horticultural Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
    7 School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
    8 Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia

    *Correspondences: Jonatan Niño Sánchez (jonatan.nino@uva.es); Hailing Jin (hailingj@ucr.edu); Neena Mitter (n.mitter@uq.edu.au). Drs. Jin and Mitter are fully responsible for the distribution of the materials associated with this article
  • Received:2022-06-22 Accepted:2022-08-26 Online:2022-11-01 Published:2022-11-17

Abstract:

One of the most promising tools for the control of fungal plant diseases is spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS). In SIGS, small interfering RNA (siRNA) or double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting essential or virulence-related pathogen genes are exogenously applied to plants and postharvest products to trigger RNA interference (RNAi) of the targeted genes, inhibiting fungal growth and disease. However, SIGS is limited by the unstable nature of RNA under environmental conditions. The use of layered double hydroxide or clay particles as carriers to deliver biologically active dsRNA, a formulation termed BioClay™, can enhance RNA durability on plants, prolonging its activity against pathogens. Here, we demonstrate that dsRNA delivered as BioClay can prolong protection against Botrytis cinerea, a major plant fungal pathogen, on tomato leaves and fruit and on mature chickpea plants. BioClay increased the protection window from 1 to 3 weeks on tomato leaves and from 5 to 10 days on tomato fruits, when compared with naked dsRNA. In flowering chickpea plants, BioClay provided prolonged protection for up to 4 weeks, covering the critical period of poding, whereas naked dsRNA provided limited protection. This research represents a major step forward for the adoption of SIGS as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fungicides.

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