- Li D, Wang F, Wang C, Zou L, Wang Z, Chen Q, Niu C, Zhang R, Ling Y, Wang B. (2016) MicroRNA-mediated susceptible poplar gene expression regulation associated with the infection of virulent Melampsora larici-populina. BMC Genomics 17(1), 59.
Rust caused by Melampsora larici-populina is one of the most damaging diseases of poplars. Rust is considered to be a model pathogen for genetic studies because both pathogen and host genomes are available. The poplar ‘Robusta’, whose general rust resistance is defeated by virulent rust E4, provides suitable host material for studies of the gene regulation involved in rust resistance/susceptibility. In this study, we investigated the microRNA-mediated susceptible poplar gene expression regulation associated with the infection of virulent rust. We were particularly interested in delineating the host-pathogen interactions with a specific focus on microRNAs (miRNAs).