Molecular and cellular events during infection of potato by PVY

Abstract

Host plants that can be infected by pathogens, including viruses, exhibit either a compatible or an incompatible interaction. In an incompatible interaction, plants resist a virus by restricting cell invasion and virus replication. Plants exhibiting a compatible interaction are said to be susceptible and the virus can replicate and invade the plant. These interactions depend on the host genotype, the nature of the virus isolate and the degree of host sensitivity to infection. The response of a plant towards virus infection can as well vary throughout the various developmental and physiological growth stages of a plant, which are influenced by environmental conditions. To successfully invade a plant, a virus will hijack cellular functions of the host to its own benefit to promote local and systemic movement. In all types of interactions, infection by PVY causes a vast cellular re-programming of the host transcriptome resulting in numerous cytological, biochemical and physiological changes. Despite significant advances in the understanding of the cellular and molecular bases of their pathogenicity, many questions remain about the mechanisms by which viruses manipulate host defences and create an optimal intracellular environment to complete their infectious cycle. This chapter will present some case studies of cellular and molecular re-programming in various types of interactions between potato cultivars and PVY strains, that are also likely to have an influence on other multitrophic interactions.