The Bacteria-Derived\ndsRNA Was Used for Spray-Induced\nGene Silencing for Rice False Smut Control

False smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is one of the most destructive diseases in rice. The disease is\nprimarily controlled with fungicides, leading to the development of\nfungicide resistance. Although spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS)\nhas been utilized for disease management, it has not been applied\nto control rice false smut. In this study, we introduce a novel approach\ninvolving the <i>in vivo</i> synthesis and exogenous application\nof double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to manage rice false smut disease.\nThe <i>UvCYP51</i>, <i>UvBI-1</i>, and <i>UvbZIP11</i> genes were selected as target genes and highly\nefficient fragments for gene silencing were identified through screening\nof silencing transformants. Although direct dsRNA uptake by U. virens was not observed, <i>in vivo</i> synthesis and application of dsRNA to rice effectively reduced the\nexpression of target genes. Treatment with dsRNA targeting the genes\nresulted in a decrease in smut balls, providing a promising disease\nmanagement strategy against rice false smut.