Plant Virus Resistance

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viruses of Plants, Fungi and Protozoa".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 12393

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Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS)—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: plant pathogenic viruses; viral and host mRNAs; viral factories; emergent plant viruses
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Dear Colleagues,

Viruses are responsible for a substantial number of the threats to plant health in agriculture, including most of the emerging crop diseases. The measures available to control viruses in crops are scarce and often inefficient, such that viruses are the cause of significant economic losses. The control methods for virus-induced diseases essentially rely on the prevention of their vector transmission, the application of hygienic measures during the propagation of plant material and during cultivation, and the use of resistant varieties. Among these, the use of resistant varieties is undoubtedly the most favorable—since it provides effective protection during the growing season without requiring additional input from the grower, it is ecologically friendly and safe for the consumer. However, the sources of genetic resistance are limited and sometimes lose their effectiveness due to the expansion of virus populations capable of overcoming them. Research in the area of resistance to plant viruses includes, but is not limited to: (i) identification of new sources of resistance and the molecular mechanisms underlying them, (ii) identification and characterization of resistance-breaking mechanisms, (iii) identification of new molecular targets to breed resistant crop varieties using advanced tools such as genome editing, and (iv) analysis of ecological and evolutionary aspects conditioning resistance durability.

Prof. Dr. Miguel A. Aranda
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2322 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Susceptibility to Tomato Chlorosis Virus (ToCV) in Hsp90- and Sgt1-Silenced Plants: Insights from Gene Expression Dynamics
by Irene Ontiveros, Noé Fernández-Pozo, Anna Esteve-Codina, Juan José López-Moya and Juan Antonio Díaz-Pendón
Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2370; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15122370 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2017
Abstract
The emerging whitefly-transmitted crinivirus tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) causes substantial economic losses by inducing yellow leaf disorder in tomato crops. This study explores potential resistance mechanisms by examining early-stage molecular responses to ToCV. A time-course transcriptome analysis compared naïve, mock, and ToCV-infected plants [...] Read more.
The emerging whitefly-transmitted crinivirus tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) causes substantial economic losses by inducing yellow leaf disorder in tomato crops. This study explores potential resistance mechanisms by examining early-stage molecular responses to ToCV. A time-course transcriptome analysis compared naïve, mock, and ToCV-infected plants at 2, 7, and 14 days post-infection (dpi). Gene expression changes were most notable at 2 and 14 dpi, likely corresponding to whitefly feeding and viral infection. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed key genes and pathways associated with ToCV infection, including those related to plant immunity, flavonoid and steroid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and hormone signaling. Additionally, virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsRNAs) originating from ToCV predominantly came from RNA2 and were 22 nucleotides in length. Furthermore, two genes involved in plant immunity, Hsp90 (heat shock protein 90) and its co-chaperone Sgt1 (suppressor of the G2 allele of Skp1) were targeted through viral-induced gene silencing (VIGS), showing a potential contribution to basal resistance against viral infections since their reduction correlated with increased ToCV accumulation. This study provides insights into tomato plant responses to ToCV, with potential implications for developing effective disease control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Resistance)
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13 pages, 3769 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Two Aggressive PepMV Isolates Useful in Breeding Programs
by Cristina Alcaide, Eduardo Méndez-López, Jesús R. Úbeda, Pedro Gómez and Miguel A. Aranda
Viruses 2023, 15(11), 2230; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15112230 - 8 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1224
Abstract
Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) causes significant economic losses in tomato crops worldwide. Since its first detection infecting tomato in 1999, aggressive PepMV variants have emerged. This study aimed to characterize two aggressive PepMV isolates, PepMV-H30 and PepMV-KLP2. Both isolates were identified in South-Eastern [...] Read more.
Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) causes significant economic losses in tomato crops worldwide. Since its first detection infecting tomato in 1999, aggressive PepMV variants have emerged. This study aimed to characterize two aggressive PepMV isolates, PepMV-H30 and PepMV-KLP2. Both isolates were identified in South-Eastern Spain infecting tomato plants, which showed severe symptoms, including bright yellow mosaics. Full-length infectious clones were generated, and phylogenetic relationships were inferred using their nucleotide sequences and another 35 full-length sequences from isolates representing the five known PepMV strains. Our analysis revealed that PepMV-H30 and PepMV-KLP2 belong to the EU and CH2 strains, respectively. Amino acid sequence comparisons between these and mild isolates identified 8 and 15 amino acid substitutions for PepMV-H30 and PepMV-KLP2, respectively, potentially involved in severe symptom induction. None of the substitutions identified in PepMV-H30 have previously been described as symptom determinants. The E236K substitution, originally present in the PepMV-H30 CP, was introduced into a mild PepMV-EU isolate, resulting in a virus that causes symptoms similar to those induced by the parental PepMV-H30 in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. In silico analyses revealed that this residue is located at the C-terminus of the CP and is solvent-accessible, suggesting its potential involvement in CP–host protein interactions. We also examined the subcellular localization of PepGFPm2E236K in comparison to that of PepGFPm2, focusing on chloroplast affection, but no differences were observed in the GFP subcellular distribution between the two viruses in epidermal cells of N. benthamiana plants. Due to the easily visible symptoms that PepMV-H30 and PepMV-KLP2 induce, these isolates represent valuable tools in programs designed to breed resistance to PepMV in tomato. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Resistance)
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10 pages, 1076 KiB  
Article
cmv1-Mediated Resistance to CMV in Melon Can Be Overcome by Mixed Infections with Potyviruses
by Andrea Giordano, Inmaculada Ferriol, Juan José López-Moya and Ana Montserrat Martín-Hernández
Viruses 2023, 15(9), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15091792 - 23 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1543
Abstract
Resistance to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strain LS in melon is controlled by the gene cmv1, which restricts phloem entry. In nature, CMV is commonly found in mixed infections, particularly with potyviruses, where a synergistic effect is frequently produced. We have explored [...] Read more.
Resistance to cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strain LS in melon is controlled by the gene cmv1, which restricts phloem entry. In nature, CMV is commonly found in mixed infections, particularly with potyviruses, where a synergistic effect is frequently produced. We have explored the possibility that this synergism could help CMV-LS to overcome cmv1-mediated resistance. We demonstrate that during mixed infection with a potyvirus, CMV-LS is able to overcome cmv1-controlled resistance and develop a systemic infection and that this ability does not depend on an increased accumulation of CMV-LS in mechanically inoculated cotyledons. Likewise, during a mixed infection initiated by aphids, the natural vector of both cucumoviruses and potyviruses that can very efficiently inoculate plants with a low number of virions, CMV-LS also overcomes cmv1-controlled resistance. This indicates that in the presence of a potyvirus, even a very low amount of inoculum, can be sufficient to surpass the resistance and initiate the infection. These results indicate that there is an important risk for this resistance to be broken in nature as a consequence of mixed infections, and therefore, its deployment in elite cultivars would not be enough to ensure a long-lasting resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Resistance)
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12 pages, 855 KiB  
Article
A Single Nonsynonymous Substitution in the RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase of Potato virus Y Allows the Simultaneous Breakdown of Two Different Forms of Antiviral Resistance in Capsicum annuum
by Benoît Moury, Thierry Michon, Vincent Simon and Alain Palloix
Viruses 2023, 15(5), 1081; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051081 - 28 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1378
Abstract
The dominant Pvr4 gene in pepper (Capsicum annuum) confers resistance to members of six potyvirus species, all of which belong to the Potato virus Y (PVY) phylogenetic group. The corresponding avirulence factor in the PVY genome is the NIb cistron (i.e., [...] Read more.
The dominant Pvr4 gene in pepper (Capsicum annuum) confers resistance to members of six potyvirus species, all of which belong to the Potato virus Y (PVY) phylogenetic group. The corresponding avirulence factor in the PVY genome is the NIb cistron (i.e., RNA-dependent RNA polymerase). Here, we describe a new source of potyvirus resistance in the Guatemalan accession C. annuum cv. PM949. PM949 is resistant to members of at least three potyvirus species, a subset of those controlled by Pvr4. The F1 progeny between PM949 and the susceptible cultivar Yolo Wonder was susceptible to PVY, indicating that the resistance is recessive. The segregation ratio between resistant and susceptible plants observed in the F2 progeny matched preferably with resistance being determined by two unlinked recessive genes independently conferring resistance to PVY. Inoculations by grafting resulted in the selection of PVY mutants breaking PM949 resistance and, less efficiently, Pvr4–mediated resistance. The codon substitution E472K in the NIb cistron of PVY, which was shown previously to be sufficient to break Pvr4 resistance, was also sufficient to break PM949 resistance, a rare example of cross-pathogenicity effect. In contrast, the other selected NIb mutants showed specific infectivity in PM949 or Pvr4 plants. Comparison of Pvr4 and PM949 resistance, which share the same target in PVY, provides interesting insights into the determinants of resistance durability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Resistance)
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17 pages, 2967 KiB  
Article
The Virus-Induced Transcription Factor SHE1 Interacts with and Regulates Expression of the Inhibitor of Virus Replication (IVR) in N Gene Tobacco
by Ju-Yeon Yoon, Eseul Baek, Mira Kim and Peter Palukaitis
Viruses 2023, 15(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15010059 - 24 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2121
Abstract
The transcription factor SHE1 was induced by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tobacco cv. Samsun NN (SNN) and SHE1 inhibited TMV accumulation when expressed constitutively. To better understand the role of SHE1 in virus infection, transgenic SNN tobacco plants generated to over-express [...] Read more.
The transcription factor SHE1 was induced by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tobacco cv. Samsun NN (SNN) and SHE1 inhibited TMV accumulation when expressed constitutively. To better understand the role of SHE1 in virus infection, transgenic SNN tobacco plants generated to over-express SHE1 (OEx-SHE1) or silence expression of SHE1 (si-SHE1) were infected with TMV. OEx-SHE1 affected the local lesion resistance response to TMV, whereas si-SHE1 did not. However, si-SHE1 allowed a slow systemic infection to occur in SNN tobacco. An inhibitor of virus replication (IVR) was known to reduce the accumulation of TMV in SNN tobacco. Analysis of SHE1 and IVR mRNA levels in OEx-SHE1 plants showed constitutive expression of both mRNAs, whereas both mRNAs were less expressed in si-SHE1 plants, even after TMV infection, indicating that SHE1 and IVR were associated with a common signaling pathway. SHE1 and IVR interacted with each other in four different assay systems. The yeast two-hybrid assay also delimited sequences required for the interaction of these two proteins to the SHE1 central 58-79% region and the IVR C-terminal 50% of the protein sequences. This suggests that SHE is a transcription factor involved in the induction of IVR and that IVR binds to SHE1 to regulate its own synthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Resistance)
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Review

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21 pages, 1862 KiB  
Review
Fighting Death for Living: Recent Advances in Molecular and Genetic Mechanisms Underlying Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease Resistance
by Onyino Johnmark, Stephen Indieka, Gaoqiong Liu, Manje Gowda, L. M. Suresh, Wenli Zhang and Xiquan Gao
Viruses 2022, 14(12), 2765; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14122765 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2872
Abstract
Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease, caused by a synergistic co-infection of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any member of the Potyviridae family, was first reported in EasternAfrica (EA) a decade ago. It is one of the most devastating threats to maize production [...] Read more.
Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease, caused by a synergistic co-infection of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any member of the Potyviridae family, was first reported in EasternAfrica (EA) a decade ago. It is one of the most devastating threats to maize production in these regions since it can lead up to 100% crop loss. Conventional counter-measures have yielded some success; however, they are becoming less effective in controlling MLN. In EA, the focus has been on the screening and identification of resistant germplasm, dissecting genetic and the molecular basis of the disease resistance, as well as employing modern breeding technologies to develop novel varieties with improved resistance. CIMMYT and scientists from NARS partner organizations have made tremendous progresses in the screening and identification of the MLN-resistant germplasm. Quantitative trait loci mapping and genome-wide association studies using diverse, yet large, populations and lines were conducted. These remarkable efforts have yielded notable outcomes, such as the successful identification of elite resistant donor lines KS23-5 and KS23-6 and their use in breeding, as well as the identification of multiple MLN-tolerance promising loci clustering on Chr 3 and Chr 6. Furthermore, with marker-assisted selection and genomic selection, the above-identified germplasms and loci have been incorporated into elite maize lines in a maize breeding program, thus generating novel varieties with improved MLN resistance levels. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for MLN resistance require further elucidation. Due to third generation sequencing technologies as well functional genomics tools such as genome-editing and DH technology, it is expected that the breeding time for MLN resistance in farmer-preferred maize varieties in EA will be efficient and shortened. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Virus Resistance)
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