Biochemistry and molecular biology of a model viroid

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Viroids are small, single-stranded, circular RNAs that replicate through a DNA-independent rolling circle mechanism. When they infect higher plants, they cause diseases that result in significant losses in the agricultural industry. These RNA species possess both genotypic and phenotypic (e.g. catalytic RNA) properties. They have consequently been described as model "relics" of a pre-cellular RNA world. In essence, viroids constitute a minimal biological system ideal for detailed RNA structure/function analyses. Since our last funding, we have made significant progress in the characterization of the peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) as a model RNA species, with advances in finding new variants, studying its structure, elucidating its replication mechanism, and showing how it switches "on" posttranscriptional gene silencing. Our current goal remains to fully comprehend the PLMVd life cycle. Inherent to this goal, our specific objectives are: