Grapevine-virus-environment interactions: An intriguing puzzle to solve

Grapevine (Vitis spp.) is one of the major and most economically important fruit crops worldwide. Unlike other crop species, grapes and wine have ancient historical connections with the development of human culture and with the socio-cultural background of grape-growing areas, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin. Grapevine potentially can host many viral entities, and the cohabitation between grapevine and viruses likely has lasted for centuries. The expansion of high-throughput sequencing technologies in recent years has given a great impetus to the discovery of unknown grapevine-infecting viruses. However, few studies have explored the molecular, metabolic and physiological events resulting from viral infections in grapevines. Only recently has interest in this field emerged, because it is becoming increasingly evident that viruses induce several changes that potentially affect the general responses of the grapevine to its environment and vice versa. Since all studies conducted on grapevine are likely performed on plants infected by one or more viruses, an update about grapevine-virus interactions discussed in the light of the emerging phytobiome concept could be useful for researchers working on grapevine and in plant biology.