2008_069
/Investigation of plant virus counter-defence mechanism
Contact:Dr. Yu Xiang / Email:Phone:(250) 494-7711
Location of the internship: Summerland, B.C.
A. The Team
Preferred internship period: 2 yrs,November 2008 – October 2010
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Other AAFC scientists:
University partners:
Industry partners:
B. Describe the area of research including the objective, the value of the project for Canada and China, and the outcome expected (brief paragraph)
The objective of this project is to investigate the sustainability and durability of plant post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mediated resistance to plant viruses. Plant post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) has emerged as an important plant defense mechanism activated in response to viral infection in plants. In this mechanism, viral RNAs trigger the gene silencing pathway which targets and degrades viral RNA in a sequence-specific manner. PTGS has been exploited as an important strategy to engineer protection against plant virus infection in recent years. However, many plant viruses have co-evolved multiple strategies to subvert PTGS silencing machinery. The strategies include production of proteins that suppress specific stage of the RNA silencing machinery; production of “decoy” RNAs that divert the gene silencing machinery away from viral RNA; and changing in viral RNA genome sequences and their structures that prevent virus RNAs from the targeting of siRNA-directed RNA-induced silencing complexes. The current project aims to gain knowledge in that how plant viruses break down an established PTGS-mediated plant defensive mechanism in a mimic cellular system and what are the required conditions that lead to overcome PTGS-mediated defence system.
It will take up to two full years of dedicated research to complete our designed research objectives. The research will enable us to provide novel information for developing new effective approaches to control plant viral diseases and for improving Canadian and Chinese agricultural disease management system. High quality scientific manuscripts for publication are expected from this leading edge study.
C. Describe the nature of the work that the student (s) will be expected to do, including the benefits for the student (s)
The internship program includes investigating the conditions of breaking-down PTGS-mediated defence system by plant viruses in a mimic cellular system that consistently confers PTGS signals. The student is expected to have knowledge in molecular biology and biochemistry. The student will learn how to use our established in vitro and in vivo gene silencing study platforms for the investigation of molecular plant/host interactions, and will receive extensive training in other research methodologies related to molecular plant pathology, plant biochemistry and biotechnology. The student will have opportunity to interact with a number of excellent scientists in molecular plant virology, molecular plant breeding and plant biochemistry in AAFC and University of British Columbia, as well as gain experience in international research collaborations.