Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can rapidly deliver artificial microRNA (AmiRNA)-ATG6 to silence ATG6 expression in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Plant cell reports Vol. 42; no. 7; pp. 1191 - 1201
• Main Authors: Zhang, Baihong, Huang, Shuqin, Meng, Yixuan, Chen, Wenli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Autophagy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Gene silencing; Genes; Gold; Immune response; Lethality; Life Sciences; Metal Nanoparticles; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; miRNA; Nanoparticles; Nucleic acids; Original Article; Pathogenesis; Plant Biochemistry; Plant immunity; Plant resistance; Plant Sciences; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; ES4326; Silence; Artificial microRNA; ATG6; AuNPs; Psm ES4326/AvrRpt2
• ISSN: 0721-7714; 1432-203X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00299-023-03026-5

Key message We establish a fast and efficient transient silencing system that facilitates functional studies of some genes, whose knockout leads to plant lethality. In plants, the generation of loss-of-function mutants is crucial for studying gene function. Artificial microRNA (AmiRNA) technology is a more targeted and effective tool for gene silencing. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can bind nucleic acids and deliver them into animal cells. Here, AuNPs are used in combination with AmiRNA technology in plants. We found that AmiRNA– autophagy - related proteins ( ATG6 ) can be delivered to cells by AuNPs to achieve the effect of ATG6 silencing. It is worth noting that on the 10th day there is still a silencing effect. Similar to the atg5 lines, silencing of ATG6 significantly reduced plant resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv.maculicola ( Psm ) ES4326/ AvrRpt2. Interestingly, ATG6 silencing and ATG5 mutation in NPR1–GFP ( nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes ) lines significantly reduced plant resistance to Psm ES4326/ AvrRpt2 , suggesting that autophagy is also involved in NPR1-regulated plant immune responses. In summary, we establish a fast and efficient transient silencing system that facilitates functional studies of some genes, whose knockout leads to plant lethality.