Establishment of plant lines cured of vertically transmitted 'good' viruses: The effects on plant growth and seed characteristics
Several pathogenic viruses benefit plants under specific circumstances, e.g., by inducing drought resistance. It is hypothesised that RNA viruses in the Endornaviridae and Partitiviridae families, sometimes called persistent since they are exclusively seed-transmitted at ~100% efficiency, have followed evolutionary trajectories towards mutualism. However, evidence comes from crossing…
Research has shown that certain pathogenic viruses can benefit plants under certain conditions, such as inducing drought resistance. The Endornaviridae and Partitiviridae families of RNA viruses, often referred to as persistent viruses due to their exclusive seed transmission at near 100% efficiency, have potentially evolved in a mutually beneficial manner. However, previous studies that crossed non-identical host backgrounds made it difficult to separate the effects of the viruses from the host genotypes.
To address this issue, researchers employed virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to cure pepper plants of the bell pepper endornavirus (BPEV) and the partitiviruses pepper cryptic virus 1 (PCV1) and PCV2. They then compared these cured plants with genetically identical counterparts that retained the viruses. The findings revealed that PCV1, PCV2, and BPEV had noteworthy impacts on both aerial and root growth, as well as fruit and seed characteristics, which could potentially enhance the host's fitness.
The VIGS-mediated curing technique enabled the researchers to conduct precise hypothesis-testing regarding the potential advantages of persistent viruses. Furthermore, it facilitated an exploration into how the genotypes of both the viruses and the host plants shape their relationship.
Written by urgent.news from bioRxiv's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
