ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1635660
This article is part of the Research TopicMechanisms of Resistance and Host Responses to RNA Virus InfectionsView all 5 articles
Distinct gene reprogramming in rosetted and symptomless shoots from the same mature rose plants infected with rose rosette virus
Provisionally accepted- 1Texas A and M University, College Station, United States
- 2Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
- 3University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- 4Baylor University, Waco, United States
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Rose rosette virus (RRV) infection in rose shrubs is marked by abnormal asymmetric growth of branches, stem thickening, hyperthorniness, as well as malformed, discolored leaves and flowers. The uneven and strange development near apical regions and only in parts of the plant led us to investigate how RRV influences growth promoters to alter internal developmental programs. We compared leaf samples from rosetted and asymptomatic shoots of the same plants and found that viral RNA levels were distinct in these plant parts. We examined the levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and caffeic acid (CFA), well-studied stress hormones, as well as indole acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin (GA), well-studied growth hormones, and found that ABA and IAA were similar, while there were distinct levels of CFA and GA in rosetted and nonrosetted tissues. Gene expression analysis revealed 39 genes that were oppositely or distinctly regulated in rosetted and asymptomatic tissues including genes (PILS3, PIN1, and two SAUR) involved in auxin transport and auxin responsive gene regulation. Ten genes that are critical ABA, and gibberellin synthesis and downstream signaling, including YUCCA and AUX/IAA related factors, were also distinctly altered.The Lonely Guy 3 (LOG3) is a crucial cytokinin activating enzyme that influences leaf patterning, can boost trichome and likely prickle formation. LOG3 was surprisingly reduced in rosetted leaves, suggesting that there was an imbalance in leaves that might explain the altered leaves but not the abundance of prickles in distinct stem tissues. Several WOX-related transcription factors were suppressed, pointing to their potential role in antiviral defenses. This study identified precise incursions of RRV into host molecular mechanisms controlling plant development and growth.
Keywords: Rose rosette virus, Emaravirus/pathogenicity, Emaravirus/physiology, Disease Resistance, Gene Expression Profiling, plant gene expression regulation, Transcriptomics, Plant virus disease
Received: 26 May 2025; Accepted: 24 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mutethia, Hosain, Herath, ong, riera-lizarazu, Byrne, kolomiets, Berg-Falloure, floyd and VERCHOT. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: JEANMARIE VERCHOT, Texas A and M University, College Station, United States
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