Plant Genome Editing and the Relevance of Off-Target Changes.

Site-directed nucleases (SDNs) used for targeted genome editing are powerful new tools to introduce precise genetic changes into plants. Like traditional approaches, such as conventional crossing and induced mutagenesis, genome editing aims to improve crop yield and nutrition. Next-generation sequencing studies demonstrate that across their genomes, populations of crop species typically carry millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms and many copy number and structural variants.

The Impact of "Coat Protein-Mediated Virus Resistance" in Applied Plant Pathology and Basic Research.

Worldwide, plant viruses cause serious reductions in marketable crop yield and in some cases even plant death. In most cases, the most effective way to control virus diseases is through genetically controlled resistance. However, developing virus-resistant (VR) crops through traditional breeding can take many years, and in some cases is not even possible.

Tombusvirus-based vector systems to permit over-expression of genes or that serve as sensors of antiviral RNA silencing in plants.

A next generation Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) coat protein gene replacement vector system is described that can be applied by either RNA inoculation or through agroinfiltration. A vector expressing GFP rapidly yields high levels of transient gene expression in inoculated leaves of various plant species, as illustrated for Nicotiana benthamiana, cowpea, tomato, pepper, and lettuce. A start-codon mutation to down-regulate the dose of the P19 silencing suppressor reduces GFP accumulation, whereas mutations that result in undetectable levels of P19 trigger rapid silencing of GFP.

A historical overview of RNAi in plants.

RNA interference, or RNAi, is arguably one of the most significant discoveries in biology in the last several decades. First recognized in plants (where it was called post-transcriptional gene silencing, PTGS) RNAi is a gene down-regulation mechanism since demonstrated to exist in all eukaryotes. In RNAi, small RNAs (of about 21-24 nucleotides) function to guide specific effector proteins (members of the Argonaute protein family) to a target nucleotide sequence by complementary base pairing.

RNAi effects on actin mRNAs in Homalodisca vitripennis cells.

The xylem feeding leafhopper Homalodisaca vitripennis (H. vitripennis) is an unusually robust and efficient vector of Xylella fastidiosa, a Gram-negative bacterium which causes several very important plant diseases. Here we investigated RNA interference (RNAi) to target actin, a key component of insect cells and whole bodies, in H.