Abstract
Nanotechnology offers innovative agricultural solutions, with nanoparticles (NPs) showing promise for targeted delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Exogenous dsRNA-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising gene silencing approach to combat viral pathogens or suppress specific plant endogenous genes without transgenic modification. The effective implementation of RNAi depends on the interactions of NPs with plants, including particle size and charge, uptake, translocation, physical barriers, and physiological and environmental conditions. The difficulties in achieving silencing phenotypes in field conditions remain a barrier to widespread agricultural adoption. Despite advancements, gaps remain in understanding NP uptake mechanisms and transport. Recently, clathrin-mediated endocytosis was found to be a driver of RNA root uptake, which we are also able to confirm with experimental observations. This study focuses on the role of root hairs as key mediators of dsRNA nanoparticle uptake. Inhibition of root hairs reduces RNA uptake, while increased root hair density enhances uptake. Lateral roots can bypass the casparian strip, and higher root hair density leads to increased RNA internalization beyond this barrier. We also propose that caveolar-mediated endocytosis can play a role in cationic polymer complexed-dsRNA NP uptake, and that the integration of RNA into cell walls across the plant allows for a slow release into the cell and sustained silencing phenotype. Validation of the microscopy results was performed by targeting phytoene desaturase (PDS) with dsRNA NPs by irrigation, where bleaching was achieved. Further research is needed to determine how these effects are influenced by plant metabolism, membrane transporters, and cell wall properties. • Confocal microscopy of roots for RNA nanoparticle characterization and uptake. • Inhibition of root hair growth using Calcofluor White resulted in no RNA uptake. • Applications of auxin yielded more root hairs and RNA uptake beyond plant barriers. • Shows method using IBA with irrigation of NPs to achieve increased plant RNA uptake. • IBA treatment results in strong sustained phytoene desaturase (PDS) bleaching.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by-nc-nd. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Clathrin-mediated endocytosis drove RNA root uptake.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Outcome
- RNA root uptakee0
- Qualifier
- clathrin-mediated endocytosise0
Verbatim
e0“clathrin-mediated endocytosis was found to be a driver of RNA root uptake, which we are also able to confirm with experimental observations.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Inhibiting root hairs reduced RNA uptake.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Treatment
- Inhibition of root hairse0
- Outcome
- RNA uptakee0
- Direction
- reducese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Inhibition of root hairs reduces RNA uptake, while increased root hair density enhances uptake.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher root hair density enhanced RNA uptake.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Organ / stage
- root haire0
- Outcome
- uptakee0
- Direction
- enhancese0
Verbatim
e0“increased root hair density enhances uptake.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Lateral roots bypassed the casparian strip.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Organ / stage
- Lateral rootse0
- Outcome
- bypass the casparian stripe0
Verbatim
e0“Lateral roots can bypass the casparian strip”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher root hair density increased RNA internalization beyond the casparian strip.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Organ / stage
- root haire0
- Outcome
- RNA internalizatione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Verbatim
e0“higher root hair density leads to increased RNA internalization beyond this barrier.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigated dsRNA NPs targeting PDS produced bleaching.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Treatment
- dsRNA NPs by irrigatione0
- Gene
- phytoene desaturase (PDS)e0
- Outcome
- bleachinge0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“targeting phytoene desaturase (PDS) with dsRNA NPs by irrigation, where bleaching was achieved.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Calcofluor White inhibition of root hair growth yielded no RNA uptake.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Treatment
- Calcofluor Whitee0
- Outcome
- RNA uptakee0
- Direction
- noe0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Inhibition of root hair growth using Calcofluor White resulted in no RNA uptake.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Auxin produced more root hairs and RNA uptake beyond plant barriers.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Treatment
- auxine0
- Outcome
- root hairs and RNA uptakee0
- Direction
- moree0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Applications of auxin yielded more root hairs and RNA uptake beyond plant barriers.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
Claim · model-written summary
IBA treatment produced strong sustained PDS bleaching.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Treatment
- IBA treatmente0
- Gene
- phytoene desaturase (PDS)e0
- Outcome
- bleachinge0
- Qualifier
- strong sustainede0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“IBA treatment results in strong sustained phytoene desaturase (PDS) bleaching.”
e1“interactions of NPs with plants”
The same questions in other papers
class · growth · Viridiplantae (plants)Positive and negative results
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- positive
3 papers more in this group
See all 7 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.