Plant-RNA viroid relationship: a complex host pathogen interaction

Abstract

Viroids are non encapsidated small RNA plant pathogens unable to produce any protein. They are able to infect dramatically a broad range of plants including herbaceous and tree crops. The ways by which viroids are able to induce diseases are actually unknown. However, recent studies have shown that viroids are able to regulate the gene expression of their hosts, they can modify the host-protein phosphorylation sensibility and they interact with host-protein implicated RNA trafficking and protein phosphorylation. Moreover during their evolution plants have developed a mechanism able to regulate their gene expression and to degrade exogenous RNAs like viroids: the gene silencing. Unfortunately, this pathway seems, now, also highly implicated in the symptoms development. This review describes studies that are realized since a few years to increase the knowledge about the plant-viroid relationship.

Keywords

• Viroids
• plant-interaction
• gene silencing
• protein interaction
• peach tree disease