1. A Plant SMALL RNA-BINDING PROTEIN 1 Family Mediates Cell-to-Cell Trafficking of RNAi Signals
- Author
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Shyi-Dong Yeh, William J. Lucas, Yee Hang Chong, Byung-Kook Ham, and Yan Yan
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Small RNA ,Small interfering RNA ,Potyvirus ,Plant Science ,Biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cucurbita ,Protein Domains ,Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ,RNA interference ,Arabidopsis ,microRNA ,RNA, Small Interfering ,Molecular Biology ,Plant Diseases ,RNA recognition motif ,Arabidopsis Proteins ,Binding protein ,RNA-Binding Proteins ,biology.organism_classification ,Cell biology ,030104 developmental biology ,RNA, Plant ,Transfer RNA ,RNA, Viral ,RNA Interference ,RNA Recognition Motif ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
In plants, RNA interference (RNAi) plays a pivotal role in growth and development, and responses to environmental inputs, including pathogen attack. The intercellular and systemic trafficking of small interfering RNA (siRNA)/microRNA (miRNA) is a central component in this regulatory pathway. Currently, little is known with regards to the molecular agents involved in the movement of these si/miRNAs. To address this situation, we employed a biochemical approach to identify and characterize a conserved SMALL RNA-BINDING PROTEIN 1 (SRBP1) family that mediates non-cell-autonomous small RNA (sRNA) trafficking. In Arabidopsis, AtSRBP1 is a glycine-rich (GR) RNA-binding protein, also known as AtGRP7, which we show binds single-stranded siRNA. A viral vector, Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), was employed to functionally characterized the AtSRBP1-4 (AtGRP7/2/4/8) RNA recognition motif and GR domains. Cellular-based studies revealed the GR domain as being necessary and sufficient for SRBP1 cell-to-cell movement. Taken together, our findings provide a foundation for future research into the mechanism and function of mobile sRNA signaling agents in plants.
- Published
- 2020
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