Project description
Double-stranded RNA in plant defence systems
Eliminating foreign nucleic acids is vital for plant survival. In plants, long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) serves to identify viral material. DICER-LIKE enzymes DCL4 and DCL2 process dsRNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) for RNA interference (RNAi). DCL4 drives RNAi, while DCL2 senses dsRNA and activates immune responses. The ERC-funded PLARNASENS project will investigate the products of DCL2 recognised by the sensor NLR, how NLR activation connects to downstream signalling, whether DCL4-mediated RNAi and DCL2 sensing occur in the same cells, and the locations of DCL2-mediated dsRNA sensing, including strategies by which viruses evade this immune response. The findings will enhance understanding of plant-virus interactions and inform agrotechnological approaches.
Objective
Elimination of foreign nucleic acids is key to host survival and reproduction. Long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in the cytoplasm is used to distinguish viral from host genetic material, and several metazoan dsRNA receptors elicit innate immune responses upon binding to dsRNA. Plants are thought to rely exclusively on RNA interference (RNAi) to eliminate RNA with double-stranded features. Two DICER-LIKE (DCL) enzymes, DCL4 and DCL2, act redundantly to cleave dsRNA into small interfering RNAs that in turn program RNA Induced Silencing Complexes to silence viral RNA using base pairing as specificity determinant. Our recent work shows that this view of plant innate antiviral immunity is incomplete. DCL4 has a dedicated role in RNAi, while DCL2 also mediates dsRNA sensing when DCL4-mediated RNAi has been defeated by viral anti-RNAi factors. dsRNA cleavage by DCL2 leads to activation of at least two nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) intracellular immune receptors that act in series, not in parallel, to initiate signalling that ultimately establishes an immune state. This proposal launches unbiased screening approaches and tests specific hypotheses to answer four questions on this recently discovered plant dsRNA sensing pathway.
(1) What is the nature of the molecular entity produced by DCL2 that is recognized by the sensor NLR?
(2) How is activation of the sensor NLR linked to activation of the downstream signaling NLR?
(3) Does DCL4-mediated RNAi and DCL2-mediated sensing occur in the same or in distinct cells, and where in the cell does DCL2-mediated dsRNA sensing occur?
(4) How do viruses circumvent innate immune activation via DCL2-mediated dsRNA sensing?
Answers to these questions represent a leap forward in our understanding of plant-virus interactions, with substantial impact in agrotechnology. The answers also deliver broad conceptual advances on how RNAi components are linked to immune signalling, and how NLR signalling operates molecularly.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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