TY - JOUR
T1 - Trans-species microRNAs from the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris specifically avoid loading onto self Argonautes
AU - Nien, Ya Chi
AU - Caron, Cole D.
AU - Frutos, Paulina J.
AU - Veltri, Francesca M.
AU - Axtell, Michael J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected].
PY - 2026/7/22
Y1 - 2026/7/22
N2 - The obligate parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris delivers trans-species microRNAs (miRNAs) into host plants that silence host mRNAs. Here, the genetic requirements for biogenesis, movement, and function of these miRNAs were investigated. Primary miRNA transcript accumulation precedes mature miRNA accumulation by 24 to 48 h. Trans-species miRNAs accumulate in host tissues a short distance from the site of parasite attachment. Trans-species miRNAs require C. campestris but not host Dicer-Like 1 (DCL1) for accumulation. These miRNAs specifically avoid Argonaute (AGO) loading in C. campestris tissue where they instead accumulate as miRNA/miRNA* duplexes. After arrival and short-distance spreading in host tissues, they are loaded onto host AGO proteins, including AGO1 and AGO2. This study clarifies the transcription, dicing, delivery, and function of C. campestris trans-species miRNAs. We propose that selective avoidance of self-AGO loading is a mechanism to facilitate high rates of delivery of these “export only” miRNAs to host tissues.
AB - The obligate parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris delivers trans-species microRNAs (miRNAs) into host plants that silence host mRNAs. Here, the genetic requirements for biogenesis, movement, and function of these miRNAs were investigated. Primary miRNA transcript accumulation precedes mature miRNA accumulation by 24 to 48 h. Trans-species miRNAs accumulate in host tissues a short distance from the site of parasite attachment. Trans-species miRNAs require C. campestris but not host Dicer-Like 1 (DCL1) for accumulation. These miRNAs specifically avoid Argonaute (AGO) loading in C. campestris tissue where they instead accumulate as miRNA/miRNA* duplexes. After arrival and short-distance spreading in host tissues, they are loaded onto host AGO proteins, including AGO1 and AGO2. This study clarifies the transcription, dicing, delivery, and function of C. campestris trans-species miRNAs. We propose that selective avoidance of self-AGO loading is a mechanism to facilitate high rates of delivery of these “export only” miRNAs to host tissues.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105043876249
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105043876249#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1093/nar/gkag700
DO - 10.1093/nar/gkag700
M3 - Article
C2 - 42417192
AN - SCOPUS:105043876249
SN - 0305-1048
VL - 54
JO - Nucleic acids research
JF - Nucleic acids research
IS - 13
M1 - gkag700
ER -