Viroid-derived small RNA induces early flowering in tomato plants by RNA silencing.
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ABSTRACT: Viroid infection often leads to early flowering in the host plant. This report describes the targeting of the FRIGIDA-like protein 3 (FRL3) mRNA in tomato plants by a small RNA derived from the conserved left terminal region of the potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd). This targeting leads to the silencing of the FRL3 mRNA. Viroid infection assays using a severe variant of PSTVd induced early flowering in tomato plants by the down-regulation of greater amounts of the target than did a mild PSTVd variant. The targeting of the FRL3 mRNA by RNA silencing was validated by both an artificial microRNA experiment transiently expressing viroid-derived small RNAs in tomato plants, and by 5' RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). These data unambiguously demonstrated the role of small RNAs in the early flowering seen in viroid-infected plants.
SUBMITTER: Adkar-Purushothama CR
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6637976 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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