ABSTRACT
Introduction Plants have a complex interconnected system of defense and stress pathways [1],[2] that receives incoming stimuli, transduces the signal and initiates the appropriate response. e process is orchestrated by a variety of plant hormones and small signaling molecules, and the nal shape of the response is rened by crosstalk among dierent pathways in the network. Evidence emerging over the last decade has made it clear that RNA silencing and endogenous small RNA pathways constitute a major response to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses [3],[4],[5]. Surprisingly, however, although many of the components of the silencing machinery are known, little is yet known about how silencing is regulated or how it is integrated into the network of other defense and stress pathways.
