Crop antiviral defense: Past and future perspective.

Area of Science:

• Plant pathology
• Molecular biology
• Agricultural science

Background:

• Viral pathogens pose significant threats to human, animal, and crop health, impacting global food security.
• Plants have evolved complex immune systems to detect and respond to viral infections.
• While model plants have been extensively studied, crop-specific antiviral mechanisms are gaining attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in understanding crop plant antiviral strategies.
• To highlight the roles of cellular receptors, RNA silencing, RNA decay, hormone signaling, autophagy, and ubiquitination in plant antiviral responses.
• To identify future research directions in plant-virus interactions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent research on crop antiviral immunity.
• Synthesis of findings on molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in plant defense against viruses.
• Identification of emerging areas of study, including circular RNAs and microbiomes.

Main Results:

• Cellular receptors, RNA silencing, RNA decay, hormone signaling, autophagy, and ubiquitination are crucial for crop antiviral responses.
• Crop plants utilize diverse strategies to mitigate viral infections.
• Circular RNAs and plant-associated microbiomes (rhizosphere and foliar) represent promising avenues for future research.

Conclusions:

• Understanding crop antiviral mechanisms is vital for enhancing crop resilience and ensuring food security.
• Targeting these pathways offers potential for developing novel crop improvement strategies.
• Further investigation into novel factors like circular RNAs and microbiomes could unlock new antiviral solutions.