scholarly journals MicroRNAs from the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris target host messenger RNAs

Nature ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 553 (7686) ◽  
pp. 82-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Shahid ◽  
Gunjune Kim ◽  
Nathan R. Johnson ◽  
Eric Wafula ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parasitic Plant ◽  
Messenger Rnas ◽  
Cuscuta Campestris

scholarly journals MicroRNAs from the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris target host messenger RNAs

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Shahid ◽  
Gunjune Kim ◽  
Nathan R. Johnson ◽  
Eric Wafula ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
Messenger Rnas ◽  
Host Gene Expression ◽  
Mrna Accumulation ◽  
Directional Movement ◽  
Plant Mirna ◽  
Cuscuta Campestris ◽  
Target Sites ◽  
Secondary Sirna ◽  
Interfering Rna

First paragraphDodders (Cuscuta spp.) are obligate parasitic plants that obtain water and nutrients from the stems of host plants via specialized feeding structures called haustoria. Dodder haustoria facilitate bi-directional movement of viruses, proteins, and mRNAs between host and parasite1, but the functional effects of these movements are not clear. Here we show that C. campestris haustoria accumulate high levels of many novel microRNAs (miRNAs) while parasitizing Arabidopsis thaliana hosts. Many of these miRNAs are 22 nts long, a usually rare size of plant miRNA associated with amplification of target silencing through secondary small interfering RNA (siRNA) production2. Several A. thaliana mRNAs are targeted by C. campestris 22 nt miRNAs during parasitism, resulting in mRNA cleavage, secondary siRNA production, and decreased mRNA accumulation levels. Hosts with mutations in two of the targets supported significantly higher growth of C. campestris. Homologs of target mRNAs from diverse plants also have predicted target sites to induced C. campestris miRNAs, and the same miRNAs are expressed and active against host targets when C. campestris parasitizes a different host, Nicotiana benthamiana. These data show that C. campestris miRNAs act as trans-species regulators of host gene expression, and suggest that they may act as virulence factors during parasitism.

scholarly journals An artificial host system enables the obligate parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris to grow and complete its life cycle in vitro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Bernal-Galeano ◽  
James Westwood
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Parasitic Plant ◽  
Host System ◽  
Specific Host ◽  
Full Control ◽  
Cuscuta Campestris ◽  
Methodological Improvement ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Water Nutrients

Cuscuta campestris is an obligate parasitic plant that requires a host to complete its lifecycle. Parasite-host connections occur via an haustorium, a unique organ that acts as a bridge for the uptake of water, nutrients and macromolecules. Research on Cuscuta is often complicated by host influences, but comparable systems for growing the parasite in the absence of a host do not exist. We developed an axenic method to grow C. campestris on an Artificial Host System (AHS). We evaluated the effects of nutrients and phytohormones on parasite haustoria development and growth. Haustorium morphology and gene expression were characterized. The AHS consists of an inert, fibrous stick that mimics a host stem, wicking water and nutrients to the parasite. It enables C. campestris to exhibit a parasitic habit and develop through all stages of its lifecycle, including production of new shoots and viable seeds. Phytohormones NAA and BA affect haustoria morphology, and increase parasite fresh weight and biomass. Gene expression in AHS haustoria reflect process similar to those in haustoria on actual host plants. The AHS is a methodological improvement for studying Cuscuta biology by avoiding specific host effects on parasite and giving researchers full control of the parasite environment.

scholarly journals Functional Characterization of the Photosynthetic Machinery in Smicronix Galls on the Parasitic Plant Cuscuta campestris by JIP-Test

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1399
Author(s):  
Lyuben Zagorchev ◽  
Alexandra Atanasova ◽  
Ivanela Albanova ◽  
Anelia Traianova ◽  
Petko Mladenov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Chlorophyll Fluorescence ◽  
Photosynthetic Activity ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Parasitic Plant ◽  
Jip Test ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Cuscuta Campestris ◽  
Photosynthetic Machinery

Members of the genus Cuscuta are generally considered to be non-photosynthetic, stem-holoparasitic flowering plants. Under certain circumstances, at least some members of the genus are capable of limited photosynthesis. The galls of the Smicronyx weevils formed on Cuscuta campestris are particularly rich in chlorophylls compared to the stem of the parasitic plant. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the photosynthetic activity in the inner and outer gall cortices in comparison to the non-photosynthetic stems and a reference plant (Arabidopsis thaliana). The recorded prompt chlorophyll fluorescence transients were analyzed using JIP test. Detailed analysis of the chlorophyll fluorescence confirmed the presence of actively functioning photosynthetic machinery, especially in the inner cortex of the galls. This photosynthesis, induced by the insect larvae, did not reach the levels of the photosynthetic activity in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Thylakoid protein complexes were identified by separation with two-dimensional Blue Native/SDS PAGE. It appeared that some of the complexes presented in A. thaliana are missing in C. campestris. We hypothesize that the insect-triggered transition from non-photosynthetic to photosynthetic tissue in the gall is driven by the increased requirements for nutrients related to the larval nutrition.

scholarly journals Does the generalist parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris selectively forage in heterogeneous plant communities?

2004 ◽  
Vol 162 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander M. Koch ◽  
Christof Binder ◽  
Ian R. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Parasitic Plant ◽  
Cuscuta Campestris

scholarly journals A new galling insect model enhances photosynthetic activity in an obligate holoparasitic plant

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryo Murakami ◽  
Ryo Ushima ◽  
Ryoma Sugimoto ◽  
Daisuke Tamaoki ◽  
Ichirou Karahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Formation Process ◽  
Plant Tissue ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Photosynthetic Activity ◽  
Parasitic Plant ◽  
Gall Formation ◽  
Plant Morphogenesis ◽  
Cuscuta Campestris ◽  
Forming Behaviour ◽  
Outer Environment

AbstractInsect-induced galls are microhabitats distinct from the outer environment that support inhabitants by providing improved nutrients, defence against enemies, and other unique features. It is intriguing as to how insects reprogram and modify plant morphogenesis. Because most of the gall systems are formed on trees, it is difficult to maintain them in laboratories and to comprehend the mechanisms operative in them through experimental manipulations. Herein, we propose a new model insect, Smicronyx madaranus, for studying the mechanisms of gall formation. This weevil forms spherical galls on the shoots of Cuscuta campestris, an obligate parasitic plant. We established a stable system for breeding and maintaining this ecologically intriguing insect in the laboratory, and succeeded in detailed analyses of the gall-forming behaviour, gall formation process, and histochemical and physiological features. Parasitic C. campestris depends on host plants for its nutrients, and usually shows low chlorophyll content and photosynthetic activity. We demonstrate that S. madaranus-induced galls have significantly increased CO2 absorbance. Moreover, chloroplasts and starch accumulated in gall tissues at locations inhabited by the weevil larvae. These results suggest that the gall-inducing weevils enhance the photosynthetic activity in C. campestris, and modify the plant tissue to a nutrient-rich shelter for them.

DEGRADATION OF MESSENGER RNA IN MAMMALIAN CELLS

1972 ◽  
Vol 71 (2_Suppla) ◽  
pp. S369-S380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis T. Kenney ◽  
Kai-Lin Lee ◽  
Charles D. Stiles
Keyword(s):  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Messenger Rnas ◽  
Tyrosine Transaminase

ABSTRACT Analyses of the response of hydrocortisone-induced tyrosine transaminase in cultured H-35 cells to inhibitors of translation (cycloheximide, puromycin) suggest: (1) that bound ribosomes stabilize messenger RNA in vivo; (2) that messenger is degraded at a rate determined by the rate of translation. Since specific messenger RNAs of mammalian cells are degraded at quite different rates, there may be extensive heterogeneity either in the rate at which ribosomes traverse different messengers or in the number of ribosomes which translate specific messenger RNAs.

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