Macromolecule exchange in Cuscuta-host plant interactions.

Gunjune Kim, James H Westwood

Journal: Current opinion in plant biology 2016;26():20-5

PMID: 26051214

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Cuscuta species (dodders) are parasitic plants that are able to grow on many different host plants and can be destructive to crops. The connections between Cuscuta and its hosts allow movement of not only water and small nutrients, but also macromolecules including mRNA, proteins and viruses. Recent studies show that RNAs move bidirectionally between hosts and parasites and involve a large number of different genes. Although the function of mobile mRNAs has not been demonstrated in this system, small RNAs are also transmitted and a silencing construct expressed in hosts is able to affect expression of the target gene in the parasite. High throughput sequencing of host-parasite associations has the potential to greatly accelerate understanding of this remarkable interaction.

Address: Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Latham Hall (0390), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.; Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Latham Hall (0390), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2015.05.012

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MeSH Terms: Cuscuta, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Host-Pathogen Interactions, RNA, Messenger, RNA, Plant