Viral-inducible Argonaute18 confers broad-spectrum virus resistance in rice by sequestering a host microRNA
Jianguo Wu,
Zhirui Yang,
Yu Wang,
Lijia Zheng,
Ruiqiang Ye,
Yinghua Ji,
Shanshan Zhao,
Shaoyi Ji,
Ruofei Liu,
Le Xu,
Hong Zheng,
Yijun Zhou,
Xin Zhang,
Xiaofeng Cao,
Lianhui Xie,
Zujian Wu,
Yijun Qi,
Yi Li
Affiliations
Jianguo Wu
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Zhirui Yang
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Yu Wang
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Lijia Zheng
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Ruiqiang Ye
Center for Plant Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Yinghua Ji
Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
Shanshan Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Shaoyi Ji
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Ruofei Liu
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Le Xu
Center for Plant Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Hong Zheng
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Yijun Zhou
Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
Xin Zhang
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Xiaofeng Cao
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Beijing, China
Lianhui Xie
Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Zujian Wu
Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
Yijun Qi
Center for Plant Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Yi Li
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Viral pathogens are a major threat to rice production worldwide. Although RNA interference (RNAi) is known to mediate antiviral immunity in plant and animal models, the mechanism of antiviral RNAi in rice and other economically important crops is poorly understood. Here, we report that rice resistance to evolutionarily diverse viruses requires Argonaute18 (AGO18). Genetic studies reveal that the antiviral function of AGO18 depends on its activity to sequester microRNA168 (miR168) to alleviate repression of rice AGO1 essential for antiviral RNAi. Expression of miR168-resistant AGO1a in ago18 background rescues or increases rice antiviral activity. Notably, stable transgenic expression of AGO18 confers broad-spectrum virus resistance in rice. Our findings uncover a novel cooperative antiviral activity of two distinct AGO proteins and suggest a new strategy for the control of viral diseases in rice.
