Viroid diseases in pome and stone fruit trees and Koch’s postulates: A critical assessment

Abstract

Composed of a naked circular non-protein-coding genomic RNA, counting only a few hundred nucleotides, viroids—the smallest infectious agents known so far—are able to replicate and move systemically in herbaceous and woody host plants, which concomitantly may develop specific diseases or remain symptomless. Several viroids have been reported to naturally infect pome and stone fruit trees, showing symptoms on leaves, fruits and/or bark. However, Koch’s postulates required for establishing on firm grounds the viroid etiology of these diseases, have not been met in all instances. Here, pome and stone fruit tree diseases, conclusively proven to be caused by viroids, are reviewed, and the need to pay closer attention to fulfilling Koch’s postulates is emphasized.