PLAMORF Workshop Highlights Key Discoveries in RNA Transport and Plant Development

An international workshop on RNA transport in plants took place in May in Berlin, bringing together leading researchers from around the world to share their latest findings and innovations in the field.

The event marked the conclusion of the PLAMORF project (Long-distance RNA signaling in plants), funded by the European Research Council (ERC). Three research groups presented their most recent discoveries, summarizing significant advances made over the course of the project. Central to their findings is the transport of messenger RNA (mRNA) and small RNA (sRNA) across long distances within plants—a phenomenon that raises fundamental biological questions:

How are RNAs mobilized? What is the biological relevance of their movement? Which proteins are involved in the transport process?

To address these questions, scientists employed techniques such as plant grafting, single-cell sequencing, and diverse molecular biology approaches. They identified specific mRNAs involved in plant development, signaling, and stress responses, and explored the role of RNA-binding proteins in facilitating RNA mobility. These breakthrough findings not only deepen our understanding of plant biology but also provide powerful molecular tools for future research.

Dr. Qingting Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in the CASS project at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), contributed with new insights into siRNA movement in cassava plants. While RNA interference (RNAi) is a common tool in plant research, the unintended spread of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and the resulting systemic gene silencing can be problematic—especially when precise, spatial or temporal gene control is desired. In cassava, this phenomenon has rarely been investigated.

Through cassava grafting experiments, sRNA sequencing, and a series of molecular and biochemical assays, Dr. Liu and colleagues demonstrated shoot-to-root siRNA spreading in cassava. They further analyzed its effects on plant growth and tuber yield. This pioneering work offers the first evidence of long-distance siRNA mobility in cassava and lays the groundwork for evaluating spatial-temporal RNAi applications in this important crop.

A manuscript detailing these findings is currently in preparation and will be published soon.