Plant viruses and the microbiome: a complex network shaping plant health and disease resistance.
Tamang A, Chaudhary S, Pandey SS, Hallan V
Soil Health
Microscopic life in your garden soil and on plant leaves may be the difference between a thriving tomato crop and a diseased one — and scientists are finding ways to harness those microbes as a natural defense against plant viruses.
Scientists used to think of plant viruses simply as invaders that make plants sick, but it turns out viruses and the billions of tiny organisms living in and around plants are constantly influencing each other. When a virus infects a plant, it can actually change which microbes thrive there — and some of those microbes can fight back against the virus. This back-and-forth suggests we could one day protect plants from viral diseases by boosting the right communities of beneficial microbes instead of relying on chemicals.
Key Findings
Plant viruses do not act in isolation — they engage in complex, bidirectional 'crosstalk' with plant-associated microbial communities including bacteria and fungi, reshaping the microbial landscape during infection.
Virus-induced changes in plant metabolism, signaling pathways, and immune responses indirectly alter microbiome composition, meaning a single viral infection can have cascading effects on the entire plant ecosystem.
Plant-associated microbial communities can confer measurable protection against viral infections, supporting the viability of microbiome-based strategies as a sustainable alternative to chemical disease management.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A new review reveals that plant viruses and the communities of microbes living on and in plants don't just coexist — they actively influence each other in ways that can either worsen disease or help plants fight back. Understanding this three-way relationship between plants, their viruses, and their microbial communities could unlock new ways to protect crops without traditional pesticides.
Abstract Preview
Plant viruses and microbiomes are pivotal to plant health, growth, and their ability to withstand environmental challenges. However, the extent to which viruses engage in direct or indirect crossta...
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