"With a circular RNA genome composed of only a few hundreds nucleotides (250-400 nt), viroids are the smallest infectious agents. They infect plants, which in turn may develop severe symptoms. Due to the lack of protein coding capability, viroids largely rely on cellular enzymatic activities and molecular pathways to replicate, systemically move and cause diseases in their hosts. Our research activity is mainly focused on the study of plant anti-viroid defense responses and molecular mechanisms underlying viroid pathogenesis. In this respect, we have shown that a still undetermined cellular RNA degradation machinery likely targets viroid RNAs for degradation during replication, thus contributing, together with post-transcriptional RNA silencing, to impair the accumulation of viroids in the infected tissues. In the case of peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd), a chloroplast replicating viroid, we have shown that RNA silencing, via 21-nt viroid-derived small RNAs, generates the initial molecular lesion that finally results in the symptoms triggered by certain variants of this viroid. In contrast, studies based on high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of small RNA libraries and degradome analyses suggested that a different molecular mechanism is likely involved in the pathogenesis elicited by potato spindle tuber viroid, the representative member of nuclear replicating viroids. In the last few years we have applied HTS to investigate the etiology of several virus-like diseases in woody hosts and have identified and characterized several novel DNA and RNA viruses, some of which associated with diseases affecting economically relevant crops. Citrus concave gum-associated virus and citrus virus A are two novel negative-stranded RNA viruses we have recently reported in collaboration with the group of Prof. Alioto (University of Naples Federico II). Molecular, phylogenetic and taxonomic traits of these two novel viruses will be presented."
Research on plant-viroid interactions and identification of novel viruses in woody plants
Ferilli F;Di Serio F
2019
Abstract
"With a circular RNA genome composed of only a few hundreds nucleotides (250-400 nt), viroids are the smallest infectious agents. They infect plants, which in turn may develop severe symptoms. Due to the lack of protein coding capability, viroids largely rely on cellular enzymatic activities and molecular pathways to replicate, systemically move and cause diseases in their hosts. Our research activity is mainly focused on the study of plant anti-viroid defense responses and molecular mechanisms underlying viroid pathogenesis. In this respect, we have shown that a still undetermined cellular RNA degradation machinery likely targets viroid RNAs for degradation during replication, thus contributing, together with post-transcriptional RNA silencing, to impair the accumulation of viroids in the infected tissues. In the case of peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd), a chloroplast replicating viroid, we have shown that RNA silencing, via 21-nt viroid-derived small RNAs, generates the initial molecular lesion that finally results in the symptoms triggered by certain variants of this viroid. In contrast, studies based on high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of small RNA libraries and degradome analyses suggested that a different molecular mechanism is likely involved in the pathogenesis elicited by potato spindle tuber viroid, the representative member of nuclear replicating viroids. In the last few years we have applied HTS to investigate the etiology of several virus-like diseases in woody hosts and have identified and characterized several novel DNA and RNA viruses, some of which associated with diseases affecting economically relevant crops. Citrus concave gum-associated virus and citrus virus A are two novel negative-stranded RNA viruses we have recently reported in collaboration with the group of Prof. Alioto (University of Naples Federico II). Molecular, phylogenetic and taxonomic traits of these two novel viruses will be presented."I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
