Gene silencing by small RNAs in plant interacting bacterium

The role of extracellular RNA species in plant-interacting bacteria gene silencing is not clear. 

In this study, the authors demonstrate that Arabidopsis transgenic plants reduce Pseudomonas syringae strain pathogenesis via sRNAs through Antibacterial Gene Silencing (AGS) phenomenon.

They identified three populations of functional extracellular free sRNAs (efsRNAs) in the apoplast of these transgenic plants. The first one is mainly non-vesicular and associated with proteins, whereas the second one is located inside Extracellular Vesicles (EVs). The third population is unbound to proteins and in a dsRNA form, unraveling.

The researchers were able to identify both Arabidopsis transgene- and genome-derived efsRNAs inside bacterial cells.

They also demonstrate that salicylic acid (SA) promotes AGS, and that a substantial set of endogenous efsRNAs exhibits predicted bacterial targets that are down-regulated by SA biogenesis and/or signaling during infection.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57908-1

https://sciencemission.com/small-RNAs-direct-gene-silencing-in-a-plant--interacting-bacterium