Viroid-2018: International Conference on Viroids and Viroid-Like RNAs

Dear Colleagues,

Viroids are a very intriguing type of infectious agent of higher plants, since they are exclusively constituted by a relatively small molecule (246–401 nt) of circular RNA. Particularly, all evidence indicates that viroid RNAs do not code for proteins. However, despite this simplicity, when viroid RNAs enter appropriate host cells they manage to replicate, move through the plant, and avoid the host defensive response, causing, in many instances, diseases that are most relevant to important agricultural crops. From their discovery in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a great deal is known about viroid biology and biochemistry, and the pathology of viroid diseases. However, more needs to be discovered about aspects, such as viroid replication, traffic and interaction with the host plant; structure of viroid molecules and functional domains; viroid transmission, pathogenesis and disease control; viroid diagnosis and identification of new viroid species. All these topics and more are to be discussed at Viroid-2018, an international conference on viroids and viroid-like RNAs that will be held in Valencia (Spain) 5–7 July, 2018. I invite all researchers in the viroid community, and particularly the participants of Viroid-2018, to present their recent discoveries about all aspects of viroid and viroid-like RNA biology in this Special Issue.

Dr. José-Antonio Daròs
Guest Editor

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