Differences in dynamics of horizontal transmission of Tomato planta macho viroid and Potato spindle tuber viroid after pollination with viroid-infected pollen

Abstract For viroids, pollen transmission is an important transmission pathway to progeny seeds and new hosts. In the current study, we found that Tomato planta macho viroid (TPMVd)—but not Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd)—was horizontally transmitted by pollen from petunia plants. Using tissue-printing hybridization to track the changes in viroid distribution after pollination, we noted that TPMVd was present in petunia stigma, styles, and eventually ovaries, whereas PSTVd was detected in the stigma and upper style but not the ovary. These findings suggest that horizontal transmission of viroids depends on the infection of the lower style and ovary during the elongation of pollen tubes after pollination. Additionally, TPMVd was transmitted horizontally, leading to systematic infection, when we used TPMVd-infected petunia pollen to pollinate the flowers of healthy tomato plants. Fertilization typically does not occur after heterologous pollination and thus likely is not required to accomplish horizontal transmission of viroids.