Institute of Phytomedicine, University of Hohenheim, Otto-Sander-Straße 5, Stuttgart, D-70599, Germany.
RLP AgroScience, Breitenweg 71, Neustadt, 67435, Germany.
New Phytol. 2021 Jul;231(1):54-59. doi: 10.1111/nph.17364. Epub 2021 May 2.
Host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) technology has emerged as a powerful alternative to chemical treatments for protecting plants from pathogens or pests. More than 170 HIGS studies have been published so far, and HIGS products have been launched. First, we discuss the strengths and limitations of this technology in a pathosystem-specific context. Next, we highlight the requirement for fundamental knowledge on the molecular mechanisms (i.e. uptake, processing and translocation of transgene-expressed double-stranded RNAs) that determine the efficacy and specificity of HIGS. Additionally, we speculate on the contribution of host and target RNA interference machineries, which may be incompatible depending on the lifestyle of the pathogen or pest. Finally, we predict that closing these gaps in knowledge will lead to the development of novel integrative concepts, precise risk assessment and tailor-made HIGS therapy for plant diseases.
宿主诱导基因沉默（HIGS）技术已成为一种替代化学处理方法来保护植物免受病原体或害虫侵害的强大手段。迄今为止，已有超过 170 项 HIGS 研究发表，并推出了 HIGS 产品。首先，我们将在特定病理系统的背景下讨论该技术的优势和局限性。接下来，我们将重点介绍对分子机制（即转基因表达的双链 RNA 的摄取、加工和转运）的基本知识的需求，这些知识决定了 HIGS 的功效和特异性。此外，我们还推测了宿主和目标 RNA 干扰机制的贡献，这些机制可能因病原体或害虫的生活方式而不兼容。最后，我们预测，填补这些知识空白将导致新型综合概念的发展、精确的风险评估和针对植物疾病的定制 HIGS 治疗。
