Abstract
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) is a natural host of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) which can cause characteristic symptoms on developing plants including stunting phenotype and distortion of leaves and tubers. PSTVd is the type species of the family Pospiviroidae, and can replicate in the nucleus and move systemically throughout the plant. It is not well understood how the viroid can affect host genes for successful invasion and which genes show altered expression levels upon infection. Our primary focus in this study is the identification of genes which can affect tuber formation since viroid infection can strongly influence tuber development and especially tuber shape. In this study, we used a large-scale method to identify differentially expressed genes in potato. We have identified defence, stress and sugar metabolism related genes having altered expression levels upon infection. Additionally, hormone pathway related genes showed significant up- or down-regulation. DWARF1/DIMINUTO, Gibberellin 7-oxidase and BEL5 transcripts were identified and validated showing differential expression in viroid infected tissues. Our study suggests that gibberellin and brassinosteroid pathways have a possible role in tuber development upon PSTVd infection.
Highlights
Viroids are non-coding RNA pathogens with unencapsidated, circular RNA genomes which are relatively short (246–467 nt), and which cause plant diseases of important crops including tomato and potato [2]
In our study we examined the effect of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) infection on its natural host potato, since this host-pathogen interaction has not been characterised in detail [10]
Our aim is to gain more data about the pathogenesis in potato and to better understand the induced tuber phenotype; how tuber shape is changed and tuber formation is affected by PSTVd infection
Summary
Viroids are non-coding RNA pathogens with unencapsidated, circular RNA genomes (reviewed by [1]) which are relatively short (246–467 nt), and which cause plant diseases of important crops including tomato and potato [2]. Viroids were reported and described first in 1970’s in the spindle tuber disease of potato [3]. Viroids spread mechanically which is facilitated by harvesting or cultural operations. Their transmission by seed and pollen have been proposed [4]. Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) is the type member of the PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0150711. Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) is the type member of the PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0150711 March 3, 2016
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