Plant virus transmission during seed development and implications to plant defense system

Authors: ESCALANTE, CESAR - Auburn University; SANZ-SEAZ, ALVARO - Auburn University; JACOBSON, ALANA - Auburn University; OTULAK-KOZIEL, KATARZYNA - Warsaw Agricultural University; KOZIEL, EDMUND - Warsaw Agricultural University; Balkcom, Kipling; Zhao, Chaoyang; CONNER, KASSIE - Auburn University

Submitted to: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/2024
Publication Date: 5/8/2024
Citation: Escalante, C., Sanz-Seaz, A., Jacobson, A., Otulak-Koziel, K., Koziel, E., Balkcom, K.S., Zhao, C., Conner, K. 2024. Plant virus transmission during seed development and implications to plant defense system. Frontiers in Plant Science. 15:1385456. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1385456.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1385456

Interpretive Summary: Plant viral diseases have caused severe crop yield losses and pose a significant threat to global food security. Approximately one-third of plant viruses are transmitted through seeds, which act as an important route of transmission for crop viral diseases. Cooperators from Auburn Univ and ARS scientists in Auburn, AL have summarized the current knowledge of plant virus transmission during seed development, including the understanding of physical, biological, and molecular factors involved in this process, as well as proposed future research directions. This review article provides the most updated information which would be useful not only for scientists to advance their understanding of seeds as vectors for virus transmission but also for the seed industry to develop effective approaches for management of seed-transmitted viral diseases.

Technical Abstract: Most plants produce large amounts of seeds to disperse their progeny in the environment. Plant viruses have evolved to avoid plant resistance mechanisms and use seeds for their dispersal. The presence of plant pathogenic viruses in seeds and suppression of plant host defenses is a major worldwide concern for producers and seed companies because undetected viruses in the seed can represent a significant threat to yield in many economically important crops. The vertical transmission of plant viruses occurs directly through the embryo or indirectly by getting in pollen grains or ovules. Infection of plant viruses during the early development of the seed embryo can result in morphological or genetic changes that cause poor seed quality and, more importantly, low yields due to the partial or ubiquitous presence of the virus at the earliest stages of seedling development. Understanding transmission of plant viruses and the ability to avoid plant defense mechanisms during seed embryo development will help identify primary inoculum sources, reduce virus spread, decrease severity of negative effects on plant health and productivity, and facilitate the future of plant disease management during seed development in many crops. In this article, we provide an overview of the current knowledge and understanding of plant virus transmission during seed embryo development, including the context of host-virus interaction.