Three tomato plants vary in the shape of their leaves: A has smooth edges on its leaves, B has wavy edges on its leaves, and C has smooth edges with bumps in the center of the leaf. Their genomes are the presence of three siRNAs as shown in the table below. Each plant is also tested to see if it is susceptible to attack by herbivorous beetles. Plant siRNA 1 siRNA 2 siRNA 3 Susceptible to Beetles A Yes No No Yes B Yes Yes No Yes C Yes No Yes No Part A: Identify the role of each siRNA. Explain how the siRNAs do their jobs

Question

Three tomato plants vary in the shape of their leaves: A has smooth edges on its leaves, B has wavy edges on its leaves, and C has smooth edges with bumps in the center of the leaf. Their genomes are the presence of three siRNAs as shown in the table below. Each plant is also tested to see if it is susceptible to attack by herbivorous beetles. Plant siRNA 1 siRNA 2 siRNA 3 Susceptible to Beetles A Yes No No Yes B Yes Yes No Yes C Yes No Yes No Part A: Identify the role of each siRNA. Explain how the siRNAs do their jobs

Answer 1

SiRNA 1: This siRNA is present in all three plants, A, B, and C, and is associated with susceptibility to attack by herbivorous beetles. This suggests that siRNA 1 plays a role in making the plants susceptible to beetle attacks.

SiRNA 2: This siRNA is present in plants A and B, but not in plant C. Both A and B are susceptible to beetle attacks, while C is not. Therefore, siRNA 2 is not directly associated with susceptibility to beetles.

SiRNA 3: This siRNA is only present in plant C, which is not susceptible to beetle attacks. This suggests that siRNA 3 plays a role in making the plant resistant to beetle attacks.

SiRNAs work by interfering with gene expression. They are small RNA molecules that can degrade or silence mRNA molecules, thereby preventing the translation of specific genes into proteins. In the case of these tomato plants, siRNAs are likely targeting genes that are involved in defense mechanisms against herbivorous beetles.

In plant A, siRNA 1 is present and may be suppressing genes involved in defense mechanisms, making the plant susceptible to beetle attacks.

In plant B, it has both siRNA 1 and siRNA 2, but siRNA 2 does not seem to have an effect on beetle susceptibility. It is possible that siRNA 2 targets different genes or has a different function unrelated to beetle defense.

In plant C, it has siRNA 1 and siRNA 3. While siRNA 1 may contribute to susceptibility to beetles, siRNA 3 appears to be associated with resistance to beetle attacks. siRNA 3 may be targeting genes that are involved in defense mechanisms, making the plant more resistant to herbivorous beetles.

Overall, the presence or absence of specific siRNAs in these tomato plants likely affects the expression of genes involved in defense mechanisms against beetles, resulting in varying levels of susceptibility or resistance to beetle attacks.