Molecular detection of viroids associated with economically important crops in India

Shilpa, N1. and Janardhana, G. R.2*

1. Department of Studies in Microbiology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru-
570006, Karnataka, India
2. Molecular Phytodiagnostic Laboratory, Department of Studies in Botany, University of
Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru-570006, Karnataka, India

*Corresponding author: grjbelur@gmail.com

Abstract
Agriculture is one of the key sectors in India and it significantly to the economy of our country.
The diverse agro-climatic conditions pose a significant threat to agriculture as the change will
inflict the emergence of various pests and pathogens directly affecting the productivity of plants.
Among the infectious agents, virus and virus like agents-viroids causing a severe economic loss
to agriculturally important crops in India. Viroids are the small single stranded, covalently closed
autonomously replicating, non encapsidated circular RNA molecules, which do not code for any
protein and thus depend on the host plant for their replication. Potato spindle tuber viroid was the
first viroid reported by T.O. Diener in 1971 which was pathogenic to several crop plants. A total
of thirty-six viroid species have been reported to be infecting many crops throughout the world
of which thirty are reported from Asian countries. In India the research on viroid was initiated
earlier than 1970 while working on Rangpur limes from Delhi, due to lack of knowledge and
diagnostics methods the studies on viroid was neglected, later in 1991, the research on viroids
was first initiated with the report of Citrus Exocortis viroids causing bunchy top of tomato
followed by Hop stunt viroid, Apple scar skin viroid, Grapevine yellow spikle viroid1,
Grapevine yellow spikle viroid2, Austrilian grapevine viroid, Potato spindle tuber viroid, Coleus
blumei viroid, Chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle and Chrysanthemum stunt viroids have been
detected and characterized from the economically important crops. Presently, the viroids are
being detected and characterized based on diseases symptomlogy and molecular diagnostic
methods like RT-PCR, Nested PCR, Multiplex PCR, Real-time PCR, PAGE, hybridization
techniques, etc. Viroids have been detected in many major vegetables, horticultural and
ornamental crops in India but attention on the occurrence of these are limited. Hence, the present
study will throw a detailed report on the molecular diversity and existence of viroids in
Karnataka, India and also their possible effects on crop plants with respect to diverse
environmental conditions.