Endosymbionts as hidden players in tripartite pathosystem of interactions and potential candidates for sustainable viral disease management
Creators: name: Hussain, Muhammad Dilshad
name: Farooq, Tahir
name: Kamran, Ali
name: Basit, Abdul
name: Wang, Yong
name: Smagghe, Guy
name: Chen, Xiangru
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Plant Biology
subject: Virology

description: The convoluted relationships between plants, viruses, and arthropod vectors housing bacterial endosymbionts are pivotal in the spread of harmful plant viral diseases. Endosymbionts play key roles in: manipulating host responses, influencing insect resistance to pesticides, shaping insect evolution, and bolstering virus acquisition, retention, and transmission. This interplay presents an innovative approach for developing sustainable strategies to manage plant diseases. Recent progress in targeting specific endosymbionts through genetic modifications, biotechnological advancements, and RNA interference shows potential for curbing viral spread and disease progression. Additionally, employing synthetic biology techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer endosymbionts and disrupt crucial interactions necessary for viral transmission in arthropod vectors holds promise for effective control measures. In this review, these obligate and facultative bacterial cruxes have been discussed to elaborate on their mechanistic involvement in the regulation and/or inhibition of tripartite pathways of interactions. Furthermore, we provide an in-depth understanding of endosymbionts’ synergistic and antagonistic effects on: insect biology, plant immunity, and virus acquisition and transmission. Finally, we point out open questions for future research and provide research directions concerning the deployment of genetically engineered symbionts to affect plant-virus-vector interactions for sustainable disease management. By addressing existing knowledge gaps and charting future research paths, a deeper comprehension of the role of endosymbionts in plant-virus-vector interactions can pave the way for innovative and successful disease management strategies. The exploration of antiviral therapies, paratransgenesis, and pathogen-blocking tactics using engineered endosymbionts introduces pioneering solutions for lessening the impact of plant viral diseases and green pest management. The tripartite interactions among plants, viruses, and arthropod vectors with bacterial endosymbionts play a crucial role in the spread of plant viral diseases. Plant-virus-vector interactions have been extensively studied; however, the role of arthropod endosymbionts remains largely unexplored necessitating further investigation. This comprehensive review delves into the mechanisms by which obligate and facultative bacterial symbionts influence the regulation of interactions within the plant-virus-vector pathosystem. The impact of endosymbionts on: plant immunity, insect biology, vector ecology, and evolutionary pathways is explored, emphasizing their role in virus transmission. Sustainable disease management strategies targeting specific endosymbionts can disrupt viral transmission pathways by utilizing advanced biotechnological tools like RNA interference (RNAi) and CRISPR/Cas9.