Control of white mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) through plant mediated RNA interference

In this study, we developed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (AT1703) expressing double-stranded (ds)RNA to silence S. sclerotiorum ABHYDROLASE-3 and slow infection through host induced gene silencing (HIGS). Leaf infection assays show reduced S. sclerotiorum lesion size, fungal load, and ABHYDROLASE-3 transcript abundance in AT1703 lines compared to wild-type Col-0. To better understand how HIGS influences host-pathogen interactions, we performed global RNA sequencing on AT1703 and wild-type Col-0 lines directly at the site of S. sclerotiorum infection. Together, these results demonstrate the utility of HIGS technology in slowing S. sclerotiorum infection and provides insight into the role of ABHYDROLASE-3 gene activity in the A. thaliana – S. sclerotiorum pathosystem. Overall design: Arabidopsis thaliana expressing dsRNA targeting Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ABHYDROLASE-3 (AT1703) and background wildtype Col-0 A. thaliana leaves at 0, 2 and 3 days post inoculation with S. sclerotiorum