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Related Experiment Videos

Discovering viroids--a personal perspective.

Theodor O Diener1

  • 1University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. diener@umbi.umb.edu

Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|March 26, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Potato diseases are caused by viroids, not viruses. These tiny subviral pathogens, discovered in the 1970s, are now known to impact many crops, with new control methods emerging.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant pathology
  • Molecular biology
  • Subviral pathogens

Background:

  • Previously, potato diseases were widely assumed to be caused by viruses.
  • The scientific community lacked understanding of certain plant maladies affecting crop yields.

Observation:

  • During 1970-1971, a novel pathogen responsible for a devastating potato disease was identified.
  • This pathogen was significantly smaller than the smallest known viruses, challenging existing scientific paradigms.

Findings:

  • The newly discovered pathogen was classified as a viroid, a unique type of subviral agent.
  • Viroids were confirmed to be the causative agents of numerous damaging crop plant diseases.
  • The extremely small size of viroids initially led to skepticism regarding their existence.

Implications:

  • The discovery of viroids revolutionized the understanding of plant infectious diseases.
  • Knowledge of viroid properties is paving the way for developing effective disease control strategies.
  • Viroid research offers potential for safeguarding global crop production and food security.

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