Plant virome: current understanding, mechanisms, and role in phytobiome

Abstract Viruses are capable of causing epidemics on all significant crops of agronomic importance across the world. They can infect all the species of cultivated and wild plants, thus threating global food security. However, this “invisible foe” has variable host range. For instance, Indian citrus ringspot virus infects few species in the genus Citrus, whereas Cucumber mosaic virus infects over >1200 species in 100 plant families. For best or for worst, plant viruses have a remarkable capacity to reprogram plant growth and development. With the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analysis, the discovery, abundance, and species richness of plant viruses, more aptly “the plant virome” has become easier to decipher. In this chapter, the plant virome, its composition, and methods to study, interaction with other biotic components of phytobiome have been discussed.