Kang Chae-Min, Jeong Rae-Dong
Department of Applied Biology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61185, Korea.
Plant Pathol J. 2025 Aug;41(4):507-517. doi: 10.5423/PPJ.OA.05.2025.0071. Epub 2025 Aug 1.
Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) infection reduces grapevine (Vitis vinifera) yield and quality, leading to significant economic losses. Conventional methods for producing virus-free plantlets often fail to completely eliminate viroids, necessitating alternative strategies. In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) was induced by applying HSVd-specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to infected grapevine plantlets. Exogenous dsRNA treatment significantly reduced HSVd levels, as confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and digital PCR. Fluorescently labeled (Cy3) dsRNA uptake was detected in plant tissues, while small RNA sequencing revealed an accumulation of HSVd-derived small interfering RNA, indicating RNAi activation. Notably, the inhibitory effect persisted through three successive generations without additional treatment, and similar suppression was observed in HSVd-infected cucumber plants. These findings highlight the efficacy and durability of exogenous dsRNA applications as a sustainable and non-transgenic approach for viroid control in grapevine cultivation.
啤酒花矮化类病毒（HSVd）感染会降低葡萄（欧亚种葡萄）的产量和品质，导致重大经济损失。生产无病毒苗的传统方法往往无法完全消除类病毒，因此需要采用替代策略。在本研究中，通过向受感染的葡萄苗施用HSVd特异性双链RNA（dsRNA）来诱导RNA干扰（RNAi）。逆转录聚合酶链反应和数字PCR证实，外源dsRNA处理显著降低了HSVd水平。在植物组织中检测到了荧光标记（Cy3）的dsRNA摄取，而小RNA测序显示HSVd衍生的小干扰RNA有所积累，表明RNAi被激活。值得注意的是，在没有额外处理的情况下，抑制作用持续了连续三代，并且在受HSVd感染的黄瓜植株中也观察到了类似的抑制效果。这些发现突出了外源dsRNA应用作为一种可持续且非转基因的方法来控制葡萄栽培中类病毒的有效性和持久性。
