plant-pathogens
Plant pathogens are microorganisms — including fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, and oomycetes — that infect plants and cause disease, disrupting normal physiological processes. Understanding how these pathogens interact with their hosts is critical for plant science, as diseases can devastate crops, reduce yields, and threaten ecosystem stability. Research in plant pathology drives the development of resistant cultivars, biological controls, and sustainable management strategies to protect both agricultural and wild plant populations.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-01
Scientists have discovered new types of viroids and viroid-like RNAs infecting plants — tiny circular RNA molecules that can cause disease without any protein coat. Advances in DNA sequencing technology are revealing these hidden pathogens across a wide range of plant hosts.
Next-generation sequencing enabled the discovery of numerous novel viroid and viroid-like RNA sequences not previously known to science.
Viroid-like RNAs were detected across a broad and expanding range of plant species, suggesting these agents are far more widespread than historically recognized.
Some newly identified viroid-like RNAs share structural features with known disease-causing viroids, raising concern about potential pathogenic effects on host plants.