Emerging and Re-Emerging Plant Viruses and Vector Complexes: Advances in Characterization, Surveillance, and Mitigation

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viruses of Plants, Fungi and Protozoa".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 132

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Interests: Bemisia tabaci cryptic species; cacao viruses; cotton viruses; geminivirus–cotton–vegetable agroecosystem; psyllid-‘Ca. Liberibacter’ transmission pathway; soil rhizosphere–phyllosphere virome; water-transmissible plant viruses; whitefly-transmitted viruses; whitefly–virus transmission pathway

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Guest Editor
Plant Virus and Vector Interactions, Czech Agrifood Research Center, Drnovská 507, 16106 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: plant virus and vector interactions; viruses of field and horticulture crops; resistance; diagnosis; plant defenses
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging and re-emerging plant viruses pose significant threats to global agriculture, impacting key food and fibre crops such as bananas, maize, potatoes, and wheat. These viruses can lead to substantial yield and economic losses. Emerging viruses are newly identified or have spread to new hosts or regions, while re-emerging viruses were once under control but have resurfaced due to factors like climate change, altered agricultural practices, and shifting crop varieties. Climate extremes and changing weather patterns affect the distribution of insect vectors, contributing to virus spread. Global trade further facilitates the movement of infected materials and vectors. Modern farming practices, such as monoculture and controlled environment systems, also create favourable conditions for virus and vector proliferation. The continuous evolution of viruses and their vectors complicates management efforts. Tackling these threats requires integrated approaches combining advanced research, early detection, better management strategies, and international cooperation.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together original research and review articles that highlight recent advancements and offer in-depth insights into emerging and re-emerging viruses and virus–vector complexes, within the context of evolving landscapes of crop and wild host species and changing environmental conditions.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Judith K. Brown
Dr. Jiban Kumar Kundu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate change and emerging/re-emerging virus threats
  • impact of virus evolution on the emerging/re-emerging virus diseases
  • innovative virus detection and surveillance methods
  • plant defense and virus resistance mechanisms responding to new outbreaks
  • plant defenses that respond to virus infection in lieu of extreme climate circumstances
  • plant virus diseases
  • plant–virus and/or plant–vector interactions, including tritrophic interactions
  • plant/crop resistance to viruses and/or arthropod vectors
  • strategies for management of viruses and vectors
  • virus–vector interactions
  • specific scenarios of emerging and reemerging viruses:
    • insect or mite-transmitted viruses of plants
    • seed-borne or seed-transmitted viruses of plants
    • soil-borne or soil-transmitted viruses
    • viruses infecting nursery crops and trees
    • water-borne or water-transmitted plant viruses

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

28 pages, 3103 KiB  
Article
First Complete Genome Sequence of Palo Verde Broom Emaravirus, Virus-Derived siRNA Signatures, and Phytohormone-Metabolite Profiling of Witches’ Broom-Affected Palo Verde Trees
by Raphael O. Adegbola, Muhammad Ilyas, Dinusha C. Maheepala, Ursula K. Schuch and Judith K. Brown
Viruses 2025, 17(8), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17081122 - 15 Aug 2025
Abstract
Witches’ broom disease of blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) was reported more than sixty years ago. Characteristic symptoms consist of dense clusters of shortened, brittle branches and stunted leaves. The suspect causal agent has been identified as palo verde broom virus [...] Read more.
Witches’ broom disease of blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) was reported more than sixty years ago. Characteristic symptoms consist of dense clusters of shortened, brittle branches and stunted leaves. The suspect causal agent has been identified as palo verde broom virus (PVBV), genus, Emaravirus, family, Fimoviridae. Here, the first complete PVBV genome sequence was determined, and virus small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs), primary metabolites, and phytohormone profiles were characterized from infected palo verde leaves, adventitious shoots, flowers, and seeds. Based on pairwise distances, PVBV RNAs 1–4 shared 54–65% nucleotide identity and 19–51% amino acid similarity, respectively, with other emaraviruses, while PVBV RNA 5 shared no sequence homology with any emaravirus. The 21–24-nt virus-derived vsiRNAs, indicative of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), represented nearly the entire PVBV genome in flowers, leaves, seeds, and adventitious shoots; however, PVBV RNA 3 and RNA 4 were most heavily targeted in all plant parts. Evidence that six major phytohormones were altered in PVBV-infected compared to virus-free trees indicated that emaravirus-infected trees mount classical defense responses to virus infection and/or eriophyid mite infestations. Detection of PVBV RNA genome segments 1–5, accumulation of predominantly 21-nt vsiRNAs, homologous to the PVBV genome and transcripts, and altered levels of phytohormones and metabolites in PVBV-infected trees strongly implicate PVBV as the causal agent of witches’ broom disease. Full article
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