Nucleic acid transfer is dynamic process that occurs during different biological events. For example, nuclear export of RNA molecules, including mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, U snRNA and microRNA, is essential for gene expression and regulation in a cell-autonomous fashion. Intercellular transport of siRNA and miRNA through a cell wall-spanning channel structure, plasmodesma, is crucial for posttranscriptional regulation of genes in a cell non-autonomous manner. Moreover, some specific endogenous mRNAs are also transported cell-to-cell and long distance, most likely utilizing the plasmodesmal transport system.
These compelling, yet still enigmatic processes of nucleic acid transport within and between cells are utilized by different microbes during their interactions with host plants. For example, genomic DNA and RNA of diverse types of plant viruses and viroids are transported cell-to-cell and long distance within their hosts. Furthermore, genomes of plant DNA viruses, in addition to their intercellular movement through plasmodesmata, also traverse nuclear pores for replication and transcription within the host cell nucleus, requiring intricate coordination between these two movement modes. In addition, DNA molecules are known to be transported from bacterial cells into plant cells, and then into the plant cell nucleus, during plant genetic transformation by Agrobacterium.
This Research Topic of the Frontiers in Plant-Microbe Interactions focuses on the fascinating question of how invading pathogens transfer their genetic information into, between and within the host cells. Reviews and original articles that we plan to host in this Topic will illuminate molecular pathways of the pathogen and the host involved in transport of nucleic acids across different cellular barriers as well as provide insights into fundamentals of plant cell biology.
Nucleic acid transfer is dynamic process that occurs during different biological events. For example, nuclear export of RNA molecules, including mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, U snRNA and microRNA, is essential for gene expression and regulation in a cell-autonomous fashion. Intercellular transport of siRNA and miRNA through a cell wall-spanning channel structure, plasmodesma, is crucial for posttranscriptional regulation of genes in a cell non-autonomous manner. Moreover, some specific endogenous mRNAs are also transported cell-to-cell and long distance, most likely utilizing the plasmodesmal transport system.
These compelling, yet still enigmatic processes of nucleic acid transport within and between cells are utilized by different microbes during their interactions with host plants. For example, genomic DNA and RNA of diverse types of plant viruses and viroids are transported cell-to-cell and long distance within their hosts. Furthermore, genomes of plant DNA viruses, in addition to their intercellular movement through plasmodesmata, also traverse nuclear pores for replication and transcription within the host cell nucleus, requiring intricate coordination between these two movement modes. In addition, DNA molecules are known to be transported from bacterial cells into plant cells, and then into the plant cell nucleus, during plant genetic transformation by Agrobacterium.
This Research Topic of the Frontiers in Plant-Microbe Interactions focuses on the fascinating question of how invading pathogens transfer their genetic information into, between and within the host cells. Reviews and original articles that we plan to host in this Topic will illuminate molecular pathways of the pathogen and the host involved in transport of nucleic acids across different cellular barriers as well as provide insights into fundamentals of plant cell biology.
