Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, CA, USA.
Front Plant Sci. 2012 Mar 2;3:39. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00039. eCollection 2012.
Grafting has been used in agriculture for over 2000 years. Disease resistance and environmental tolerance are highly beneficial traits that can be provided through use of grafting, although the mechanisms, in particular for resistance, have frequently been unknown. As information emerges that describes plant disease resistance mechanisms, the proteins, and nucleic acids that play a critical role in disease management can be expressed in genetically engineered (GE) plant lines. Utilizing transgrafting, the combination of a GE rootstock with a wild-type (WT) scion, or the reverse, has the potential to provide pest and pathogen resistance, impart biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, or increase plant vigor and productivity. Of central importance to these potential benefits is the question of to what extent nucleic acids and proteins are transmitted across a graft junction and whether the movement of these molecules will affect the efficacy of the transgrafting approach. Using a variety of specific examples, this review will report on the movement of organellar DNA, RNAs, and proteins across graft unions. Attention will be specifically drawn to the use of small RNAs and gene silencing within transgrafted plants, with a particular focus on pathogen resistance. The use of GE rootstocks or scions has the potential to extend the horticultural utility of grafting by combining this ancient technique with the molecular strategies of the modern era.
嫁接在农业中已经使用了 2000 多年。通过使用嫁接，可以提供抗病性和环境耐受性等有益性状，尽管这些机制，特别是抗性机制，经常不为人知。随着描述植物抗病机制的信息的出现，在遗传工程（GE）植物系中可以表达在疾病管理中起关键作用的蛋白质和核酸。利用转基因嫁接，将转基因砧木与野生型（WT）接穗组合，或者反之，有可能提供抗虫害和病原体的能力，赋予生物和非生物胁迫耐受性，或提高植物活力和生产力。这些潜在好处的核心问题是核酸和蛋白质在嫁接连接处传播的程度，以及这些分子的运动是否会影响转基因嫁接方法的效果。本文通过各种具体的例子，报告了细胞器 DNA、RNA 和蛋白质在嫁接连接处的移动情况。特别关注转基因植物中的小 RNA 和基因沉默的利用，特别是对病原体抗性的关注。使用转基因砧木或接穗有可能通过将这种古老的技术与现代的分子策略相结合，扩展嫁接的园艺应用。
