RNA interference-mediated viral disease resistance in crop plants

Abstract Double-strand RNA (dsRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) responses are conserved throughout the plant and animal kingdom as a posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism of gene expression. It is a vital process of molecular interactions among the dsRNA and a wide range of proteins in the regulation of several life processes. Successful exploitation of this mechanism in the postgenomic era has made a revolution in the development of genetically engineered organisms, including a wide range of crop species. Increased agricultural yield has always been a significant intention to feed the ever-growing human population. Crop diseases are an important challenge in achieving such goals. Among the numerous plant pathogens, viral pathogens of crops constitute a significant threat causing a substantial loss in agricultural yield. RNAi has been used extensively in the development of disease-resistant varieties of crops by targeting pathogenic genetic regulations using the host-induced pathogenic gene silencing mechanism. This chapter discusses some notable examples of RNAi-mediated viral disease resistance in major food crops, including rice, wheat, potato, tomato, soybean, cassava, among others.