Different Components of the RNA Interference Machinery Are Required for Conidiation, Ascosporogenesis, Virulence, Deoxynivalenol Production, and Fungal Inhibition by Exogenous Double-Stranded RNA in the Head Blight Pathogen .

In filamentous fungi, gene silencing through RNA interference (RNAi) shapes many biological processes, including pathogenicity. We explored the requirement of key components of fungal RNAi machineries, including DICER-like 1 and 2 (DCL1, DCL2), ARGONAUTE 1 and 2 (AGO1, AGO2), AGO-interacting protein QIP (QDE2-interacting protein), RecQ helicase (QDE3), and four RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRP1, RdRP2, RdRP3, RdRP4), in the ascomycete mycotoxin-producing fungal pathogen () for sexual and asexual multiplication, pathogenicity, and its sensitivity to double-stranded (ds)RNA. We corroborate and extend earlier findings that conidiation, ascosporogenesis, and Fusarium head blight (FHB) symptom development require an operable RNAi machinery.

Catch Me If You Can! RNA Silencing-Based Improvement of Antiviral Plant Immunity.

Viruses are obligate parasites which cause a range of severe plant diseases that affect farm productivity around the world, resulting in immense annual losses of yield. Therefore, control of viral pathogens continues to be an agronomic and scientific challenge requiring innovative and ground-breaking strategies to meet the demands of a growing world population. Over the last decade, RNA silencing has been employed to develop plants with an improved resistance to biotic stresses based on their function to provide protection from invasion by foreign nucleic acids, such as viruses.