Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

RNAi as a potential tool for biotechnological applications in fungi

  • Mini-Review
  • Published:
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene-silencing (PTGS) phenomenon in which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers the degradation of homologous mRNA species, thereby reducing gene expression. In fungi, the use of RNAi as a tool for reverse genetics, aimed at modification of gene expression, is constantly growing, with more than 40 species already proven to be responsive. This technology has the ability to co-down-regulate the expression of several genes; however, this trait also makes it susceptible to non-target effects, which can be addressed using both available and developing bioinformatic tools. Moreover, the functionality of absorbed exogenous RNAi molecules, and the various classes of small RNAs found in fungi, offer great versatility and flexibility in acquiring the desired effects on gene expression, even without the necessity to genetically modify the targeted strain. There is an emerging role for RNAi as a potential tool for biotechnological applications. This is evident from current investigations in fungi, demonstrating the contribution of RNAi to progress research and applications in biomaterials production, bioconversion, plant fungal interactions and virulence factors of human pathogens. Possible problems and prospects for the use of RNAi in fungal biotechnology are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agrawal N, Dasaradhi PVN, Mohmmed A, Malhotra P, Bhatnagar RK, Mukherjee SK (2003) RNA interference: biology, mechanism and applications. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 67:657–685

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ah Fong A, Judelson HS (2003) Cell cycle regulator Cdc14 is expressed during sporulation but not hyphal growth in the fungus-like oomycete Phytophthora infestans. Mol Microbiol 50:487–494

    Google Scholar 

  • Archer DB, Mackenzie DA, Jeenes DJ, Roberts IN (1992) Proteolytic degradation of heterologous proteins expressed in Aspergillus niger. Biotechnol Lett 14:357–362

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bacon JS, Jones D, Farmer VC, Webley DM (1968) The occurrence of alpha-(1–3)-glucan in Cryptococcus, Schizosaccharomyces and Polyporus species, and its hydrolysis by a Streptomyces culture filtrate lysing cell walls of Cryptococcus. Biochim Biophys Acta 158:313–315

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baldo A, Mathy A, Tabart J, Camponova P, Vermout S, Massart L, Maréchal F, Galleni M, Mignon B (2010) Secreted subtilisin Sub3 from Microsporum canis is required for adherence to but not for invasion of the epidermis. Br J Dermatol 162:990–997

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barton LM, Prade RA (2008) Inducible RNA interference of brlAbeta in Aspergillus nidulans. Eukaryot Cell 7:2004–2007

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernard M, Latge JP (2001) Aspergillus fumigates cell wall: composition and biosynthesis. Med Mycol 39:9–17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bicanic T, Wood R, Bekker LG, Darder M, Meintjes G, Harrison TS (2005) Antiretroviral roll-out, antifungal roll-back: access to treatment for cryptococcal meningitis. Lancet Infect Dis 5:530–531

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody H, Suchindra M (2009) RNAi-mediated gene silencing of highly expressed genes in the industrial fungi Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger. Ind Biotechnol 5:53–60

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bromley M, Gordon C, Rovira-Graells N, Oliver J (2006) The Aspergillus fumigatus cellobiohydrolase B (cbhB) promoter is tightly regulated and can be exploited for controlled protein expression and RNAi. FEMS Microbiol Lett 264:246–254

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brotman Y, Briff E, Viterbo A, Chet I (2008) Role of swollenin, an expansin-like protein from Trichoderma, in plant root colonization. Plant Physiol 147:779–6789

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cardoza RE, Vizcaíno JA, Hermosa MR, Sousa S, González FJ, Llobell A, Monte E, Gutiérrez S (2006) Cloning and characterization of the erg1 gene of Trichoderma harzianum: effect of the erg1 silencing on ergosterol biosynthesis and resistance to terbinafine. Fungal Genet Biol 43:164–178

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Catalanotto C, Azzalin G, Macino G, Cogoni C (2000) Gene silencing in worms and fungi. Nature 404:245

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Catalanotto C, Azzalin G, Macino G, Cogoni C (2002) Involvement of small RNAs and role of the qde genes in the gene silencing pathway in Neurospora. Genes Dev 16:790–795

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang YC, Kwon-Chung KJ (1994) Complementation of a capsule-deficient mutation of Cryptococcus neoformans restores its virulence. Mol Cell Biol 14:4912–4919

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cogoni C, Macino G (1997) Isolation of quelling-defective (qde) mutants impaired in posttranscriptional transgene-induced gene silencing in Neurospora crassa. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:10233–10238

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cogoni C, Macino G (1999a) Posttranscriptional gene silencing in Neurospora by a RecQ DNA helicase. Science 286:2342–2344

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cogoni C, Macino G (1999b) Gene silencing in Neurospora crassa requires a protein homologous to RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Nature 399:166–169

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cogoni C, Irelan JT, Schumacher M, Schmidhauser TJ, Selker EU, Macino G (1996) Transgene silencing of the al-1 gene in vegetative cells of Neurospora is mediated by a cytoplasmic effector and does not depend on DNA-DNA interactions or DNA methylation. EMBO J 15:3153–3163

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen R, Persky L, Hadar Y (2002) Biotechnological applications and potential of wood-degrading mushrooms of the genus Pleurotus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 58:582–594

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cole GT, Hung CY (2001) The parasitic cell wall of Coccidioides immitis. Med Mycol 39:31–40

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa AM, Mills PR, Bailey AM, Foster GD, Challen MP (2008) Oligonucleotide sequences forming short self-complimentary hairpins can expedite the down-regulation of Coprinopsis cinerea genes. J Microbiol Methods 75:205–208

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa ASMB, Thomas DJI, Eastwood D, Cutler SB, Bailey AM, Foster GD, Mills PR, Challen MP (2009) Quantifiable downregulation of endogenous genes in Agaricus bisporus mediated by expression of RNA hairpin. J Microbiol Biotechnol 19:271–276

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cottrell TR, Doering TL (2003) Silence of the strands: RNA interference in eukaryotic pathogens. Trends Microbiol 11:37–43

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • de Backer MD, Neilssen B, Logghe M, Viaene J, Loonen I, Vandoninck S, de Hoogt R, Dewaele S, Simons FA, Verhasselt P, Vanhoof G, Contreras R, Luyten WH (2001) An antisense-based functional genomics approach for identification of genes critical for growth of Candida albicans. Nat Biotechnol 19:235–241

    Google Scholar 

  • de Backer MD, Raponi M, Arndt GM (2002) RNA-mediated gene silencing in non-pathogenic and pathogenic fungi. Curr Opin Microbiol 5:323–329

    Google Scholar 

  • de Jong JF, Deelstra HJ, Wosten HA, Lugones LG (2006) RNA-mediated gene silencing in monokaryons and dikaryons of Schizophyllum commune. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:1267–1269

    Google Scholar 

  • Dean RA (1997) Signal pathways and appressorium morphogenesis. Annu Rev Phytopathol 35:211–234

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dean RA, Talbot NJ, Ebbole DJ, Farman ML, Mitchell TK, Orbach MJ, Thon M, Kulkarni R, Xu JR, Pan H, Read ND, Lee YH, Carbone I, Brown D, Oh YY, Donofrio N, Jeong JS, Soanes DM, Djonovic S, Kolomiets E, Rehmeyer C, Li W, Harding M, Kim S, Lebrun MH, Bohnert H, Coughlan S, Butler J, Calvo S, Ma LJ, Nicol R, Purcell S, Nusbaum C, Galagan JE, Birren BW (2005) The genome sequence of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Nature 434:980–986

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • dos Santos ACC, Sena JAL, Santos SC, Dias CV, Pirovani CP, Pungartnik C, Valle RR, Cascardo JCM, Vincentz M (2009) dsRNA-induced gene silencing in Moniliophthora perniciosa, the causal agent of witches’ broom disease of cacao. Fungal Genet Biol 46:825–836

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmet RW, Parberry DG (1975) Appressoria. Ann Rev Phytopathol 13:147–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Engh I, Nowrousian M, Kück U (2007) Regulation of melanin biosynthesis via the dihydroxynaphthalene pathway is dependent on sexual development in the ascomycete Sordaria macrospora. FEMS Microbiol Lett 275:62–70

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erental A, Harel A, Yarden O (2007) Type 2A phosphoprotein phosphatase is required for asexual development and pathogenesis of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Mol Plant Microb Interact 20:944–954

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fire A, Xu S, Montgomery MK, Kostas SA, Driver SE, Mello CC (1998) Potent and specific genetic interference by double-stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 391:806–811

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald A, Van Kan JA, Plummer KM (2004) Simultaneous silencing of multiple genes in the apple scab fungus, Venturia inaequalis, by expression of RNA with chimeric inverted repeats. Fungal Genet Biol 41:963–971

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldoni M, Azzalin G, Macino G, Cogoni C (2004) Efficient gene silencing by expression of double stranded RNA in Neurospora crassa. Fungal Genet Biol 41:1016–1024

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haas BJ, Kamoun S, Zody MC, Jiang RH, Handsaker RE, Cano LM, Grabherr M, Kodira CD, Raffaele S, Torto-Alalibo T, Bozkurt TO, Ah-Fong AM, Alvarado L, Anderson VL, Armstrong MR, Avrova A, Baxter L, Beynon J, Boevink PC, Bollmann SR, Bos JI, Bulone V, Cai G, Cakir C, Carrington JC, Chawner M, Conti L, Costanzo S, Ewan R, Fahlgren N, Fischbach MA, Fugelstad J, Gilroy EM, Gnerre S, Green PJ, Grenville-Briggs LJ, Griffith J, Grünwald NJ, Horn K, Horner NR, Hu CH, Huitema E, Jeong DH, Jones AM, Jones JD, Jones RW, Karlsson EK, Kunjeti SG, Lamour K, Liu Z, Ma L, Maclean D, Chibucos MC, McDonald H, McWalters J, Meijer HJ, Morgan W, Morris PF, Munro CA, O’Neill K, Ospina-Giraldo M, Pinzón A, Pritchard L, Ramsahoye B, Ren Q, Restrepo S, Roy S, Sadanandom A, Savidor A, Schornack S, Schwartz DC, Schumann UD, Schwessinger B, Seyer L, Sharpe T, Silvar C, Song J, Studholme DJ, Sykes S, Thines M, van de Vondervoort PJ, Phuntumart V, Wawra S, Weide R, Win J, Young C, Zhou S, Fry W, Meyers BC, van West P, Ristaino J, Govers F, Birch PR, Whisson SC, Judelson HS, Nusbaum C (2009) Genome sequence and analysis of the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Nature 461:393–398

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton A, Voinnet O, Chappell L, Baulcombe D (2002) Two classes of short interfering RNA in RNA silencing. EMBO J 21:4671–4679

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond TM, Keller NP (2005) RNA silencing in Aspergillus nidulans is independent of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases. Genetics 169:607–617

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heneghan MN, Costa AMSB, Challen MP, Mills PR, Bailey A, Foster GD (2007) A comparison of methods for successful triggering of gene silencing in Coprinus cinereus. Mol Biotechnol 35:283–294

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henry C, Mouyna I, Latge JP (2007) Testing the efficacy of RNA interference constructs in Aspergillus fumigatus. Curr Genet 51:277–284

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hogan LH, Klein BS (1994) Altered expression of surface alpha-1, 3-glucan in genetically related strains of Blastomyces dermatitidis that differ in virulence. Infect Immun 62:3543–3546

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hutvagner G, Zamore PD (2002) RNAi: nature abhors a double-strand. Curr Opin Genet Dev 12:225–232

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jana S, Chakraborty C, Nandi S (2004) Mechanisms and roles of the RNA-based gene silencing. Electron J Biotechnol 7:324–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Janus D, Hoff B, Hofmann E, Kück U (2007) An efficient fungal RNA-silencing system using the DsRed reporter gene. Appl Environ Microbiol 73:962–970

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janus D, Hoff B, Kück U (2009) Evidence for Dicer-dependent RNA interference in the industrial penicillin producer Penicillium chrysogenum. Microbiology 155:3946–3956

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kadotani N, Nakayashiki H, Tosa Y, Mayama S (2003) RNA silencing in the phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Mol Plant Microb Interact 16:769–776

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kadotani N, Nakayashiki H, Tosa Y, Mayama S (2004) One of the two Dicer-like proteins in the filamentous fungi Magnaporthe oryzae genome is responsible for hairpin RNA-triggered RNA silencing and related small interfering RNA accumulation. J Biol Chem 279:44467–44474

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kemppainen MJ, Pardo AG (2010) pHg/pSILBAgamma vector system for efficient gene silencing in homobasidiomycetes: optimization of ihpRNA-triggering in the mycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor. Microb Biotechnol 3:178–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemppainen MJ, Duplessis S, Martin F, Pardo AG (2009) RNA silencing in the model mycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor: gene knock-down of nitrate reductase results in inhibition of symbiosis with Populus. Environ Microbiol 11:1878–1896

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khatri M, Rajam MV (2007) Targeting polyamines of Aspergillus nidulans by siRNA specific to fungal ornithine decarboxylase gene. Med Mycol 45:211–220

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kitamoto N, Yoshino S, Ohmiya K, Tsukagoshi N (1999) Sequence analysis, overexpression, and antisense inhibition of a beta-xylosidase gene, xylA, from Aspergillus oryzae KBN616. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:20–24

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klimpel KR, Goldman WE (1987) Isolation and characterization of spontaneous avirulent variants of Histoplasma capsulatum. Infect Immun 55:528–533

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klimpel KR, Goldman WE (1988) Cell walls from avirulent variants of Histoplasma capsulatum lack α-(1, 3)-glucan. Infect Immun 56:2997–3000

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krajaejun T, Gauthier GM, Rappleye CA, Sullivan TD, Klein BS (2007) Development and application of a green fluorescent protein sentinel system for identification of RNA interference in Blastomyces dermatitidis illuminates the role of septin in morphogenesis and sporulation. Eukaryot Cell 6:1299–1309

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kück U, Hoff B (2010) New tools for the genetic manipulation of filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 86:51–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Latijnhouwers M, Ligterink W, Vleeshouwers VG, van West P, Govers F (2004) A Galpha subunit controls zoospore motility and virulence in the potato late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Mol Microbiol 51:925–936

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Chang S, Liu Y (2010) RNA interference pathways in filamentous fungi. Cell Mol Life Sci. doi:10.1007/s00018-010-0471-y

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Cottrell TR, Pierini LM, Goldman WE, Doering TL (2002) RNA interference in the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Genetics 160:463–470

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Zhang B, Li C, Bao X (2010) Knock down of chitosanase expression in phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium solani and its effect on pathogenicity. Curr Genet 56:275–281

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Machida M, Yamada O, Gomi K (2008) Genomics of Aspergillus oryzae: learning from the history of koji mold and exploration of its future. DNA Res 15:173–183

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martens H, Novotny J, Oberstrass J, Steck TL, Postlethwait P, Nellen W (2002) RNAi in Dictyostelium: the role of RNA-directed RNA polymerases and double-stranded RNase. Mol Biol Cell 13:445–453

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin F, Aerts A, Ahrén D, Brun A, Danchin EG, Duchaussoy F, Gibon J, Kohler A, Lindquist E, Pereda V, Salamov A, Shapiro HJ, Wuyts J, Blaudez D, Buée M, Brokstein P, Canbäck B, Cohen D, Courty PE, Coutinho PM, Delaruelle C, Detter JC, Deveau A, DiFazio S, Duplessis S, Fraissinet-Tachet L, Lucic E, Frey-Klett P, Fourrey C, Feussner I, Gay G, Grimwood J, Hoegger PJ, Jain P, Kilaru S, Labbé J, Lin YC, Legué V, Le Tacon F, Marmeisse R, Melayah D, Montanini B, Muratet M, Nehls U, Niculita-Hirzel H, Oudot-Le Secq MP, Peter M, Quesneville H, Rajashekar B, Reich M, Rouhier N, Schmutz J, Yin T, Chalot M, Henrissat B, Kües U, Lucas S, Van de Peer Y, Podila GK, Polle A, Pukkila PJ, Richardson PM, Rouzé P, Sanders IR, Stajich JE, Tunlid A, Tuskan G, Grigoriev IV (2008) The genome of Laccaria bicolor provides insights into mycorrhizal symbiosis. Nature 452:88–92

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matityahu A, Hadar Y, Dosoretz CG, Belinky PA (2008) Gene silencing by RNA interference in the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Appl Environ Microbiol 74:5359–5365

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matzke MA, Birchler JA (2005) RNAi-mediated pathways in the nucleus. Nat Rev Genet 6:24–35

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald T, Brown D, Keller NP, Hammond TM (2005) RNA silencing of mycotoxin production in Aspergillus and Fusarium species. Mol Plant Microb Interact 18:539–545

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno RE, Kanetsuna F, Carbonell LM (1969) Isolation of chitin and glucan from the cell wall of the yeast form of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Arch Biochem Biophys 130:212–217

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moriwaki A, Ueno M, Arase S, Kihara J (2007) RNA-mediated gene silencing in the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae. FEMS Microbiol Lett 269:85–89

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moriwaki A, Katsube H, Ueno M, Arase S, Kihara J (2008) Cloning and characterization of the BLR2, the homologue of the blue-light regulator of Neurospora crassa WC-2, in the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae. Curr Microbiol 56:115–121

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mouyna I, Henry C, Doering TL, Latge JP (2004) Gene silencing with RNA interference in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. FEMS Microbiol Lett 237:317–324

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakayashiki H (2005) RNA silencing in fungi: mechanisms and applications. FEBS Lett 579:5950–5957

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakayashiki H, Nguyen QB (2008) RNA interference: roles in fungal biology. Curr Opin Microbiol 11:494–502

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakayashiki H, Hanada S, Nguyen BQ, Kadotani N, Tosa Y, Mayama S (2005) RNA silencing as a tool for exploring gene function in ascomycete fungi. Fungal Genet Biol 42:275–283

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakayashiki H, Kadotani N, Mayama S (2006) Evolution and diversification of RNA silencing proteins in fungi. J Mol Evol 63:127–135

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Namekawa SH, Iwabata K, Sugawara H, Hamada FN, Koshiyama A, Chiku H, Kamada T, Sakaguchi K (2005) Knockdown of LIM15/DMC1 in the mushroom Coprinus cinereus by double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing. Microbiology 151:3669–3678

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ngiam C, Jeenes DJ, Punt PJ, Van Den Hondel CA, Archer DB (2000) Characterization of a foldase, protein disulfide isomerase A, in the protein secretory pathway of Aspergillus niger. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:775–782

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen QB, Kadotani N, Kasahara S, Tosa Y, Mayama S, Nakayashiki H (2008) Systematic functional analysis of calcium-signalling proteins in the genome of the rice-blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, using a high-throughput RNA-silencing system. Mol Microbiol 68:1348–1365

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicolás FE, Torres-Martínez S, Ruiz-Vázquez RM (2003) Two classes of small antisense RNAs in fungal RNA silencing triggered by non-integrative transgenes. EMBO J 22:3983–3991

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolás FE, de Haro JP, Torres-Martínez S, Ruiz-Vázquez RM (2007) Mutants defective in a Mucor circinelloides dicer-like gene are not compromised in siRNA silencing but display developmental defects. Fungal Genet Biol 44:504–516

    Google Scholar 

  • Nolan T, Braccini L, Azzalin G, De Toni A, Macino G, Cogoni C (2005) The post-transcriptional gene silencing machinery functions independently of DNA methylation to repress a LINE1-like retrotransposon in Neurospora crassa. Nucleic Acids Res 33:1564–1573

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Novick P, Field C, Schekman R (1980) Identification of 23 complementation groups required for posttranslational events in the yeast secretory pathway. Cell 21:205–215

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira JM, van der Veen D, de Graaff LH, Qui L (2008) Efficient cloning system for construction of gene silencing vectors in Aspergillus niger. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 80:917–924

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Panepinto J, Komperda K, Frases S, Park YD, Djordjevic JT, Casadevall A, Williamson PR (2009) Sec6-dependent sorting of fungal extracellular exosomes and laccase of Cryptococcus neoformans. Mol Microbiol 71:1165–1176

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patel RM, van Kan JA, Bailey AM, Foster GD (2008) RNA mediated gene silencing of superoxide dismutase (bcsod1) in Botrytis cinerea. Phytopathology 98:1334–1339

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raponi M, Arndt GM (2003) Double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing in fission yeast. Nucleic Acids Res 31:4481–4489

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rappleye CA, Engle JT, Goldman WE (2004) RNA interference in Histoplasma capsulatum demonstrates a role for alpha-(1, 3)-glucan in virulence. Mol Microbiol 53:153–165

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Renckens S, De Greve H, Van Montagu M, Hernalsteens JP (1992) Petunia plants escape from negative selection against a transgene by silencing the foreign DNA via methylation. Mol Gen Genet 233:53–64

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romano N, Macino G (1992) Quelling: transient inactivation of gene expression in Neurospora crassa by transformation with homologous sequences. Mol Microbiol 6:3343–3353

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rukavtsova EB, Alekseeva VV, Buryanov YI (2010) The use of RNA interference for the metabolic engineering of plants (Review). Bioorg Khim 36:146–156

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salame TM, Yarden O, Hadar Y (2010) Pleurotus ostreatus manganese-dependent peroxidase silencing impairs decolourization of Orange II. Microb Biotechnol 3:93–106

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schümann J, Hertweck C (2007) Molecular basis of cytochalasan biosynthesis in fungi: gene cluster analysis and evidence for the involvement of a PKS-NRPS hybrid synthase by RNA silencing. J Am Chem Soc 129:9564–9565

    Google Scholar 

  • Segers GC, van Wezel R, Zhang X, Hong Y, Nuss DL (2006) Hypovirus papain-like protease p29 suppresses RNA silencing in the natural fungal host and in a heterologous plant system. Eukaryot Cell 5:896–904

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shafran H, Miyara I, Eshed R, Prusky D, Sherman A (2008) Development of new tools for studying gene function in fungi based on the Gateway system. Fungal Genet Biol 45:1147–1154

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva CL, Alves LM, Figueiredo F (1994) Involvement of cell wall glucans in the genesis and persistence of the inflammatory reaction caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Microbiology 140:1189–1194

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Braus-Stromeyer SA, Timpner C, Tran VT, Lohaus G, Reusche M, Knufer J, Teichmann T, von Tiedemann A, Braus GH (2009) Silencing of Vlaro2 for chorismate synthase revealed that the phytopathogen Verticillium longisporum induces the cross-pathway control in the xylem. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 85:1961–1976

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith TF, Waterman MS (1981) Identification of common molecular subsequences. J Mol Biol 147:195–197

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiering MJ, Moon CD, Wilkinson HH, Schardl CL (2005) Gene clusters for insecticidal loline alkaloids in the grass-endophytic fungus Neotyphodium uncinatum. Genetics 3:1403–1414

    Google Scholar 

  • Takeno S, Sakuradani E, Tomi A, Inohara-Ochiai M, Kawashima H, Ashikari T, Shimizu S (2005) Improvement of the fatty acid composition of an oil-producing filamentous fungus, Mortierella alpina 1 S-4, through RNA interference with delta12-desaturase gene expression. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:5124–5128

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tanguay P, Bozza S, Breuil C (2006) Assessing RNAi frequency and efficiency in Ophiostoma floccosum and O. piceae. Fungal Genet Biol 43:804–812

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tinoco MLP, Dias BBA, Dall’Astta RC, Pamphile JA, Aragão FJL (2010) In vivo trans-specific gene silencing in fungal cells by in planta expression of a double-stranded RNA. BMC Biol 8:27. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-8-27

    Google Scholar 

  • Ullán RV, Godio RP, Teijeira F, Vaca I, Garcia-Estrada C, Feltrer R, Kosalkova K, Martin JF (2008) RNA-silencing in Penicillium chrysogenum and Acremonium chrysogenum: validation studies using beta-lactam genes expression. J Microbiol Methods 75:209–218

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Krol AR, Mur LA, Beld M, Mol JN, Stuitje AR (1990) Flavonoid genes in petunia: addition of a limited number of gene copies may lead to a suppression of gene expression. Plant Cell 2:291–299

    Google Scholar 

  • van West P, Kamoun S, van’t Klooster JW, Govers F (1999) Internuclear gene silencing in Phytophthora infestans. Mol Cell 3:339–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermout S, Tabart J, Baldo A, Monod M, Losson B, Mignon B (2007) RNA silencing in the dermatophyte Microsporum canis. FEMS Microbiol Lett 275:38–45

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Viterbo A, Landau U, Kim S, Chernin L, Chet I (2010) Characterization of ACC deaminase from the biocontrol and plant growth-promoting agent Trichoderma asperellum T203. FEMS Microbiol Lett 305:42–48

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wani SH (2010) Inducing fungus-resistance into plants through biotechnology. Not Sci Biol 2:14–21

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whisson SC, Avrova AO, Van West P, Jones JT (2005) A method for double-stranded RNA-mediated transient gene silencing in Phytophthora infestans. Mol Plant Pathol 6:153–163

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RA, Talbot NJ (2009) Under pressure: investigating the biology of plant infection by Magnaporthe oryzae. Nat Rev Microbiol 7:185–195

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamada T, Morishita S (2005) Accelerated off-target search algorithm for siRNA. Bioinformatics 21:1316–1324

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamada O, Ikeda R, Ohkita Y, Hayashi R, Sakamoto K, Akita O (2007) Gene silencing by RNA interference in the koji mold Aspergillus oryzae. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 71:138–144

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zamore PD, Tuschl T, Sharp PA, Bartel DP (2000) RNAi: Double-stranded RNA directs the ATP-dependent cleavage of mRNA at 21 to 23 nucleotide intervals. Cell 101:25–33

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng XF, Kobayashi Y, Takeuchi M (1998) Construction of a low-serine-type-carboxypeptidase-producing mutant of Aspergillus oryzae by the expression of antisense RNA and its use as a host for heterologous protein secretion. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 49:39–44

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ziv C, Yarden O (2010) Gene silencing for functional analysis: assessing RNAi as a tool for manipulation of gene expression. Methods Mol Biol 638:77–100

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and the Otto Warburg Minerva Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel

    Tomer M. Salame, Carmit Ziv, Yitzhak Hadar & Oded Yarden

Authors
  1. Tomer M. Salame
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carmit Ziv
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yitzhak Hadar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Oded Yarden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oded Yarden.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Salame, T.M., Ziv, C., Hadar, Y. et al. RNAi as a potential tool for biotechnological applications in fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 89, 501–512 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2928-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2928-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation