A myosin5 dsRNA that reduces the fungicide resistance and pathogenicity of Fusarium asiaticum.

Fungal resistance to fungicides is a serious challenge in crop protection. Although strategies have been found to prevent the development of fungicide resistance, rare strategy has been found to quickly reduce such resistance once it has occurred. We demonstrate that the application of dsRNAs, which inhibit the expression of the phenamacril (fungicide JS399-19) target gene-Myosin 5 (Myo5) in Fusarium, decreased F. asiaticum resistance to phenamacril and infection. RNAi molecules derived from different regions of Myo5 gene had different effects on phenamacril-resistance. Myo5-8 (one of Myo5 segments) exhibited great and stable effect on phenamacril-resistant reduction both in vivo and in vitro. Myo5 mRNA and protein were both reduced when mycelium was treated with Myo5-8 dsRNA. After a mixture of Myo5-8 dsRNA and phenamacril treatment, plants can highly control the infection of phenamacril-resistant strain. The antifungal activity of Myo5-8 dsRNA plus phenamacril effected longer than a single Myo5-8 dsRNA. In addition, no off-target sequences were found in wheat and/or other plant and animal species for Myo5-8 dsRNA sequence. Our findings suggest a new strategy for fungicide resistant reduction and for designing new fungicides to control pathogens which easily develop fungicide resistance.