Silencing of disease susceptibility genes: an effective disease resistance strategy against fungal pathogens

Abstract

Silencing of target susceptibility (S) genes in plants exhibits a promising and durable strategy for enhanced resistance to fungal pathogens by causing disruption in the host mechanisms that the pathogens exploit, offering an alternative to the traditional resistance gene-based approaches. Devastating fungal diseases have significantly reduced crop productivity, posing a potential threat to global food security. Producing disease-resistant cultivars is the most effective strategy for protecting crops against these fungal pathogens. Typically, susceptibility (S) genes in host plants facilitate the penetration and proliferation of phytopathogens. Perturbation of these S genes can potentially impede the compatibility between the host and the fungal pathogens, thereby providing broad-spectrum and lasting resistance. Consequently, the identification and targeting of S-genes have gained increasing interest in enhancing disease resistance in plants. In this review, we describe three distinct categories of S genes that function during different stages of the infection process. We focus on various gene silencing technologies, including RNA interference (RNAi), virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), and CRISPR-Cas9, to improve plant disease resistance against fungal pathogens. The numerous examples discussed here illustrate the potential of S-genes for use in plant disease-resistance breeding.

Keywords: CRISPR-Cas9; Disease resistance; Fungal pathogens; RNAi; Susceptibility genes.