Elucidating the mechanism of seed transmission of Pospiviroid

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25850031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Yosuke Matsushita 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 野菜花き研究部門花き生産流通領域, 主任研究員 (00414665)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ウイロイド / 種子伝染

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Viroids are the smallest and simplest of the plant pathogens, consisting of a single-stranded circular, naked RNA genome from 246 to 401 nucleotides (nt) in length, which lacks any protein-coding sequences. To identify the major pattern of seed transmission of viroids, we used in situ hybridization to histochemically analyze the distribution of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) in each developmental stage of petunia (flowering to mature seed stages). Our observation that PSTVd infected reproductive tissues such as the ovule before embryogenesis reveals that PSTVd can invade the embryo through pollen (i.e., seed transmission of PSTVd occurs by indirect embryo invasion through the infected embryo sac or pollen). These findings indicate that PSTVd is indirectly delivered to the embryo through ovule or pollen during the development of reproductive tissues before embryogenesis but not directly through maternal tissues as cell-to-cell movement during embryogenesis.

Free Research Field

植物保護