Research Keyword: gene silencing

Betulinic Acid Delays Turnip Mosaic Virus Infection by Activating the Phytosulfokine Signalling Pathway in Nicotiana benthamiana

Researchers discovered that betulinic acid, a natural compound found in birch and eucalyptus trees, can slow down turnip mosaic virus infection in plants. The compound works by activating a plant hormone called phytosulfokine through special receptors on plant cells, which strengthens the plant’s natural defence against the virus. This finding suggests betulinic acid could become an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides for protecting vegetable crops from viral diseases.

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Mechanism Underlying Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide Biosynthesis Regulation by the β-1,3-Glucosyltransferase Gene gl20535

Researchers studied a gene called gl20535 in the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum that controls how the fungus makes beneficial polysaccharides. When they increased this gene’s activity, the mushroom produced significantly more polysaccharides with improved composition. The gene works by controlling sugar pathways and related enzyme production, and the mushroom compensates when this gene is reduced. These findings could help improve the production of medicinal mushroom products for food and health applications.

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PRMT5 promotes cellulase production by regulating the expression of cellulase gene eg2 through histone methylation in Ganoderma lucidum

Scientists discovered that a protein called PRMT5 helps mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) produce more cellulase enzymes, which break down plant materials like corn straw and corn cobs. By controlling a specific gene called eg2 through a chemical modification on histone proteins, PRMT5 increases enzyme production. This discovery could help industries produce cellulase more efficiently and sustainably convert agricultural waste into useful sugars for biofuels and other products.

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Fusiform nanoparticle boosts efficient genetic transformation in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Scientists developed a new method using tiny fusiform nanoparticles to introduce genes into a destructive plant fungus called Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. This approach is simpler and faster than traditional genetic engineering methods because it doesn’t require complex cell preparation steps. The research shows that by silencing specific fungal genes, they could reduce the fungus’s ability to cause disease, which could help develop better strategies to protect crops like rapeseed and soybean.

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Fungal Argonaute proteins act in bidirectional cross-kingdom RNA interference during plant infection

Scientists discovered that fungi and plants exchange genetic instructions called small RNAs to control each other during infection. A fungal pathogen called Botrytis cinerea uses special proteins called Argonautes to deliver these instructions into plant cells, which helps the fungus cause disease. Plants also send back their own genetic instructions to defend themselves. Understanding these molecular communications could lead to new ways to protect crops from fungal diseases.

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PcLRR-RK3, an LRR receptor kinase is required for growth and in-planta infection processes in Phytophthora capsici

Researchers studied a specific protein called PcLRR-RK3 that helps Phytophthora capsici, a disease-causing organism, infect plants. By reducing the amount of this protein, they found that the pathogen became much weaker, could not grow as well, and could not successfully infect plants. This protein sits on the surface of the pathogen’s cells and acts like a communication tool that the organism needs to develop and cause disease.

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Argonaute1-Dependent LtmilR2 Negatively Regulated Infection of Lasiodiplodia theobromae by Targeting a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor in RAS Signalling

Scientists discovered a tiny regulatory RNA molecule called LtmilR2 in a fungus that causes grape disease. This molecule naturally suppresses the fungus’s ability to cause infection by shutting down a gene called LtRASGEF. When researchers delivered LtmilR2 using specially designed nanoparticles, it successfully stopped the fungus from growing. This discovery could lead to a new type of biological fungicide for protecting grapes and vineyards.

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Argonaute1-Dependent LtmilR2 Negatively Regulated Infection of Lasiodiplodia theobromae by Targeting a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor in RAS Signalling

Scientists discovered a small RNA molecule called LtmilR2 in a fungus that causes grape canker disease. This molecule naturally suppresses the fungus’s ability to infect grapes. By delivering this molecule or similar RNA duplexes to the fungus, researchers were able to inhibit its growth and infection, suggesting a new type of biological fungicide that could protect vineyards without chemical pesticides.

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The First Whole Genome Sequence and Methylation Profile of Gerronema lapidescens QL01

Scientists have sequenced the complete genetic code of Lei Wan (Gerronema lapidescens), a medicinal mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating parasitic infections and digestive problems. The research revealed how this mushroom produces beneficial compounds and how its genes are regulated through a process called methylation. This information could help develop better ways to cultivate this increasingly rare mushroom sustainably rather than harvesting it from the wild, making it available for future medical research and treatment.

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