Engineered dsRNA-protein nanoparticles for effective systemic gene silencing in plants

Abstract

Long-distance transport or systemic silencing effects of exogenous biologically active RNA molecules in higher plants have not been reported. Here, we report that cationized bovine serum albumin (cBSA) avidly binds double-stranded beta-glucuronidase RNA (dsGUS RNA) to form nucleic acid-protein nanocomplexes. In our experiments with tobacco and poplar plants, we have successfully demonstrated systemic gene silencing effects of cBSA/dsGUS RNA nanocomplexes when we locally applied the nanocomplexes from the basal ends of leaf petioles or shoots. We have further demonstrated that the cBSA/dsGUS RNA nanocomplexes are highly effective in silencing both the conditionally inducible DR5-GUS gene and the constitutively active 35S-GUS gene in leaf, shoot, and shoot meristem tissues. This cBSA/dsRNA delivery technology may provide a convenient, fast, and inexpensive tool for characterizing gene functions in plants and potentially for in planta gene editing.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture SCRI (grant no. 2015-70016-23027) and the Connecticut-Storrs Agriculture Experimental Station.

Author Contributions

Yi Li and C.K. conceived the study. Yi Li, C.K., H.S., A.K., X.Y., G.A.T., Z.D., F.G.G., and H.D. were involved in the experimental design. H.S., A.K., D.T., J.D., L.Z., X.G., Yanjun Li, H.Y., L.Z., and X.G. performed the experiments. Yi Li, C.K., H.S., and A.K. conducted the data analysis. Yi Li, C.K., H.S., A.K., X.Y., G.A.T., Z.D., and F.G.G. wrote and edited the manuscript.

Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request, and the detailed information of primer and dsRNA sequences used in this study is provided in supplementary documents.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Supplementary data

Supplementary data is available at Horticulture Research online.

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