NOVEL INSIGHTS IN THE RNA EXOSOME COMPLEX FUNCTIONS DURING TMV-CG INFECTION IN ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA

GABRIELA CONTI; ANDREA LAURA VENTURUZZI; MELISA LEONE; SEBASTIAN ASURMENDI

Corrientes Capital

Congreso; XXXI Reunión Argentina de Fisiología vegetal; 2016

Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal - SAFV

The RNA exosome complex is a versatile RNA degradation machine involved in several aspects of RNA regulation and quality control, including responses to environmental cues and development. In plants, it is antagonistically related to post-transcriptional gene silencing, a very well-studied defense pathway against viral infections. Previous results from our group showed that the expression level of several RNA exosome components are altered as a result of TMV infections in tobacco plants and when individual RNA exosome components are down-regulated, viral accumulation and symptoms development are reduced. Here we analyzed the expression levels of a set of RNA exosome complex transcripts, including core subunits and cytoplasmic and nuclear cofactors in TMV-Cg infected Arabidopsis thaliana compared to mock infected control plants. We also challenged Arabidopsis mutants for a set of RNA exosome components (rrp4, mtr4 and ski3) with TMV-Cg viral strain in order to analyze their impact on defense responses and symptoms development. The alteration of the RNA exosome complex is emerging as a new viral counter-defense strategy and is also probably implicated in the development of disease symptoms.