Antiviral immune response of the plant
A process termed as 'RNA silencing' represents a major component of the plant's immune response against viral infections. Following infection, viral RNA molecules, i.e., viral genomes or mRNAs, are processed by cellular DICER enzymes into 'small interfering RNAs, siRNAs'. One strand of these siRNAs gets integrated into so-called Argonaute nucleases (AGO) that are parts of yet incompletely characterized 'RNA induced silencing complexes' (RISC) in the cell. Guided by the siRNAs, the RISC may recognize cognate viral RNAs, which are then cleaved by the AGO proteins. Viruses express certain proteins ('suppressors') that may counteract antiviral RNA silencing and thus permit an infection to be established despite of the immune reaction. Our lab established a powerful technique that enables us to reconstitute viral replication and antiviral RNA silencing in a test tube. Applying this 'in vitro assay' in combination with experiments in plants, we study the functions of VSRs as well as of individual RISC components. Major aims involve the identification of ways to optimize the plant's immune response and to protect plants by non-transgenic means against viral infections.
Principle investigator: Prof. Dr. Sven-Erik Behrens; responsible scientist: Dr. Torsten Gursinsky