Abstract
A 1,250-bp chimeric dsRNA simultaneously targeting ten Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes effectively suppresses fungal development and pathogenicity. Both spray-induced (SIGS) and host-induced (HIGS) gene silencing confer enhanced resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot in oilseed rape. HIGS transgenic lines show stable, heritable resistance across multiple generations without compromising yield performance. Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) is caused by the necrotrophic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and threatens global oilseed rape ( Brassica napus ) production. Moreover, researchers have not yet identified a gene that confers complete resistance. Here, we developed a multi-target RNA interference (RNAi) strategy to enhance plant resistance by simultaneously silencing eight fungal genes involved in development ( SsChsI–VII , SsGas1 ) and two involved in pathogenicity ( SsPG1 , SsOAH1 ) of S . sclerotiorum . Accordingly, we designed a 1,250-bp chimeric double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) consisting of ten 125-bp fragments each targeting a different gene, and evaluated its effectiveness using spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) and host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) via stable transformation. In vitro application of the chimeric dsRNA resulted in >50% downregulation of nine target genes, indicating efficient uptake and processing by S . sclerotiorum . Both lesion area and fungal biomass were significantly lower in Nicotiana benthamiana and oilseed rape plants following SIGS. Moreover, stable transgenic plants for HIGS effectively generated gene-specific short interfering RNAs and exhibited an increase in resistance from the T 2 to T 5 generations, with lesions that were 38.9–59.1% smaller in leaves and 43.2–65.8% smaller in stems in the T 5 generation compared with the control plants. Gene silencing resulted in lower oxalic acid accumulation, decreased polygalacturonase activity, and impaired hyphal development, suggesting interference with multiple fungal infection pathways. Notably, HIGS conferred stable, heritable resistance without yield penalty, whereas SIGS provided rapid, nontransgenic protection. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of long chimeric dsRNAs for multi-target gene silencing and highlights a promising RNAi-based strategy for improving disease resistance in oilseed rape, possibly in combination with natural quantitative resistance loci.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Chimeric dsRNA downregulated nine fungal target genes by more than 50% in vitro.
- Taxon
- oilseed rape
_Brassica_napus_-_Habit.jpg?width=60)
Brassica napust0 - Treatment
- chimeric dsRNAe0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Sclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen - Outcome
- downregulation of nine target genese0
- Direction
- downregulatione0
- Value
- >50%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Brassica_napus_-_Habit.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“In vitro application of the chimeric dsRNA resulted in >50% downregulation of nine target genes”
Claim · model-written summary
Spray-induced silencing reduced lesion area and fungal biomass in Nicotiana benthamiana.
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamiana
Nicotiana benthamianae0 - Treatment
- SIGSe0
- Outcome
- lesion area and fungal biomasse0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both lesion area and fungal biomass were significantly lower in Nicotiana benthamiana and oilseed rape plants following SIGS”
Claim · model-written summary
Spray-induced silencing reduced lesion area and fungal biomass in oilseed rape.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napuse0
- Treatment
- SIGSe0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- lesion area and fungal biomasse0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“Both lesion area and fungal biomass were significantly lower in Nicotiana benthamiana and oilseed rape plants following SIGS”
Claim · model-written summary
Host-induced silencing plants produced gene-specific small interfering RNAs.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Treatment
- HIGSe0
- Outcome
- gene-specific short interfering RNAse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“stable transgenic plants for HIGS effectively generated gene-specific short interfering RNAs”
Claim · model-written summary
Host-induced silencing resistance increased from T2 to T5 generations.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- resistancee0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- from the T 2 to T 5 generationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“exhibited an increase in resistance from the T 2 to T 5 generations”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 HIGS leaf lesions were 38.9–59.1% smaller than controls.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- host-induced gene silencingt0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- lesionse0
- Direction
- smallere0
- Value
- 38.9–59.1%e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“lesions that were 38.9–59.1% smaller in leaves and 43.2–65.8% smaller in stems in the T 5 generation compared with the control plants”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 HIGS stem lesions were 43.2–65.8% smaller than controls.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Organ / stage
- stemse0
- Treatment
- host-induced gene silencingt0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- lesionse0
- Direction
- smallere0
- Value
- 43.2–65.8%e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“lesions that were 38.9–59.1% smaller in leaves and 43.2–65.8% smaller in stems in the T 5 generation compared with the control plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Gene silencing lowered fungal oxalic acid accumulation, polygalacturonase activity, and hyphal development.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Treatment
- Gene silencinge0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- oxalic acid accumulation, decreased polygalacturonase activity, and impaired hyphal developmente0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“Gene silencing resulted in lower oxalic acid accumulation, decreased polygalacturonase activity, and impaired hyphal development”
Claim · model-written summary
HIGS resistance was stable and heritable without a yield penalty.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Treatment
- HIGSe0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- stable, heritable resistance without yield penaltye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“HIGS conferred stable, heritable resistance without yield penalty”
Claim · model-written summary
SIGS supplied rapid nontransgenic protection.
- Taxon
- oilseed rapeBrassica napust0
- Treatment
- SIGSe0
- Interactor
- Sclerotinia sclerotiorumSclerotinia sclerotiorumt0pathogen
- Outcome
- rapid, nontransgenic protectione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genes via spray- and host-induced gene silencing enhances against Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in oilseed rape”
e0“SIGS provided rapid, nontransgenic protection”
The same questions in other papers
double-stranded RNA · Sclerotinia sclerotiorum · Brassica napus (oilseed rape)Results agree
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loss of function · Sclerotinia sclerotiorum · Brassica napus (oilseed rape)Positive and negative results
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8 papers in the same direction as this paper · 7 in the opposite direction
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See all 16 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.