Phytophthora infestans miRNA translocation facilitates infection in potato

Phytophthora spp. encode large sets of effector proteins and distinct populations of small RNAs (sRNAs). Reports suggest that pathogen-derived sRNAs can modulate the expression of plant defense genes. The experiments reported here were designed to shed light on impact of sRNAs in the potato-P. infestans interaction. We used the Argonaute or Ago1 from P. infestans tagged with GFP transformed into the 88069 strain to infect potato cv. Bintje plants. Collected leaf materials were used in co-immunoprecipitation experiments together with P. infestans harboring GFP (control GFP) and P. infestans mycelia grown on media (control mycelia). These three materials were sequenced at a Ion Proton platform. The reads length of 8-38 nt were adaptor-trimmed and mapped to the P. infestans genome and the Solanom tuberosum genome v4.04. Both P. infestans-associated and potato derived sRNAs were identified. Overall design: 12 small RNA samples sequenced from Co-IP. 3 replicates for each of the following: PiAgo1-GFP mycelia, Pi-GFP mycelia, PiAgo1-GFP infected Potato (cv. Bintje), Pi-GFP infected Potato (Bintje). Pi-GFP samples are controls. P. infestans strain: NL-88069