RNA silencing is resistant to low-temperature in grapevine

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 20;8(12):e82652. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082652. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

RNA silencing is a natural defence mechanism against viruses in plants, and transgenes expressing viral RNA-derived sequences were previously shown to confer silencing-based enhanced resistance against the cognate virus in several species. However, RNA silencing was shown to dysfunction at low temperatures in several species, questioning the relevance of this strategy in perennial plants such as grapevines, which are often exposed to low temperatures during the winter season. Here, we show that inverted-repeat (IR) constructs trigger a highly efficient silencing reaction in all somatic tissues in grapevines. Similarly to other plant species, IR-derived siRNAs trigger production of secondary transitive siRNAs. However, and in sharp contrast to other species tested to date where RNA silencing is hindered at low temperature, this process remained active in grapevine cultivated at 4°C. Consistently, siRNA levels remained steady in grapevines cultivated between 26°C and 4°C, whereas they are severely decreased in Arabidopsis grown at 15°C and almost undetectable at 4°C. Altogether, these results demonstrate that RNA silencing operates in grapevine in a conserved manner but is resistant to far lower temperatures than ever described in other species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Cell Division / genetics
  • Cold Temperature*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Inverted Repeat Sequences / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Transgenes / genetics
  • Vitis / genetics*
  • Vitis / growth & development

Substances

  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a specific grant of INRA–GAP-BV (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) to HV and JEM, joint grants from the CIVA (Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace) and the Conseil Régional Alsace. MR had a stipend from CIVA-Conseil Régional Alsace. PD was supported by the Agence National pour la Recherche (ANR-10-LABX-36) and the Bettencourt-Schueller foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.