RNA in Plant-Virus/Viroid Interaction

Dear Colleagues,

Coding and non-coding RNA molecules play fundamental roles in the regulation of the interactions between host plants and viruses/viroids. Next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS), capable of obtaining huge amounts of sequencing data, have strongly boosted investigations in this field, offering the possibility to achieve better insight into the molecular networks of plant–virus/viroid interaction.

The transcriptomics of plant–virus/viroid interactions are key to investigate the role of host coding RNAs and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing disease development and defense responses. The use of functional genomics has contributed to the identification of plant genes involved in the susceptibility/resistance responses, and to deciphering the molecular basis underpinning virus attack.

Non-coding RNAs are a heterogeneous class of RNA molecules at the forefront of research thanks to their role in plant–pathogen interactions. They include different kinds of RNA entities, i.e., small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). While siRNAs and miRNAs are well known to trigger the host RNAi machinery, reprogramming gene expression and regulating plant susceptibility, less is known about the role and mechanism of action of lncRNAs and circRNAs during plant–virus/viroid interactions.

Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the non-coding-RNA-mediated regulations of plant–virus/viroid interactions has led to the development of innovative approaches for crop protection, using both transgenic (i.e., hairpin-based constructs, antisense RNAs, artificial miRNAs) and non-transgenic techniques (i.e., exogenous delivery of RNA molecules).

Increasing our knowledge on the role of the different classes of RNA molecules in the interaction between plants and viruses/viroids is necessary to improve the yield and security of agricultural products and to ameliorate their quality.

In this Special Issue, we welcome submissions illustrating new insights into the role of coding and non-coding RNAs during plant–virus/viroid interactions, as well as in their exploitation to obtain tolerance or resistance to viral entities. Comprehensive literature reviews discussing the current status and future directions in the context of scientific, economic, legal, and safety aspects are also welcomed.

Dr. Emanuela Noris
Dr. Laura Miozzi
Guest Editors

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