Plant epigenome alterations: an emergent player in viroid-host interactions

Abstract

It is well known that viroids promote significant alterations at diverse host regulatory levels. However the mechanisms by which these tiny RNAs subvert endogenous regulatory networks remain a to a large extent unsolved question. In the last years diverse studies have revealed the existence of a close interplay between viroid infection and host DNA methylation, suggesting that the modulation of the endogenous transcriptional activity by epigenetic alterations of the host genome may emerge as a novel player in plant-viroid interactions. Here, we summarize the more relevant findings related to alteration of the host DNA methylome in response to viroid infection and discus the potential strategies which may be exploited by these non-conventional pathogenic RNAs to hijack and redesign the plant epigenome.

Keywords

Viroid-host interaction; DNA methylation; Viroid-induced pathogenesis; Epigenetic plant-response to infections; RNA-dependent DNA-Methylation

Published in

Virus Research
2022, Volume: 318, article number: 198844
Publisher: ELSEVIER

SLU Authors

• Martinez-Arias, Germán

  • Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network


UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198844

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/118226