rna-silencing
RNA silencing is a conserved gene regulation mechanism in which non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs, suppress gene expression in a sequence-specific manner triggered by double-stranded RNA. In plants, this pathway plays critical roles in development, stress responses, and defense against pathogens and viruses. Researchers harness RNA silencing as a powerful tool to study gene function and engineer disease-resistant or trait-improved crops.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-29
Scientists discovered that a stress protein called COR15, found in citrus and tobacco plants, boosts the plant's natural antiviral immune system by protecting a key defense component from viral attack. This protein helps plants resist citrus tristeza virus and potentially a broad range of other viral infections.
COR15 directly interacts with and neutralizes the citrus tristeza virus protein p20, which normally shuts down the plant's RNA-based immune defense
COR15 protects the defense protein SGS3 from viral degradation and promotes formation of antiviral processing hubs inside plant cells, enhancing production of virus-fighting molecules
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of COR15 in plants reduced the number and size of antiviral processing hubs and impaired the plant's ability to produce virus-silencing molecules, confirming COR15's essential role
