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Plant viruses impose a serious threat on agriculture, which motivates extensive breeding efforts for viral resistant crops and inspires lasting interests on basic research to understand the mechanisms underlying plant immunity against viruses. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites. Their genomes are usually small and only encode a few products that are essential to hijack host machinery for their nucleotide and protein biosynthesis, and that are necessary to suppress host immunity. Plants evolved multilayers of defense mechanisms to defeat viral infection. In this research topic, we gathered 13 papers covering recent advances in different aspects of plant immunity against viruses, including reviews on RNA silencing and R gene based immunity and their application, translational initiation factor mediated recessive resistance, genome editing based viral immunity, role of chloroplast in plant-virus interaction, and research articles providing new mechanistic insights on plant-virus interactions. We hope that this Research Topic helps readers to have a better understanding of the progresses that have been made recently in plant immunity against viruses. A deeper understanding of plant antiviral immunity will facilitate the development of innovative approaches for crop protections and improvements.

Virus --- Hormone --- Plant Immunity --- NBS-LRR --- Soybean mosaic virus --- Cucumber mosaic virus --- Genome editing --- RNA silencing --- Chloroplast --- Recessive Resistance

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Abiotic stresses are the major cause that limits productivity of crop plants worldwide. Plants have developed intricate machinery to respond and adapt over these adverse environmental conditions both at physiological and molecular levels. Due to increasing problems of abiotic stresses, plant biotechnologists and breeders need to employ new approaches to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Although current research has divulged several key genes, gene regulatory networks and quantitative trait loci that mediate plant responses to various abiotic stresses, the comprehensive understanding of this complex trait is still not available. This topic is focused on molecular genetics and genomics approaches to understand the plant response/adaptation to various abiotic stresses. We welcome all types of articles (original research, method, opinion and review) that provide new insights into different aspects of plant responses and adaptation to abiotic stresses. Articles describing genome analysis to identify key candidate genes, regulatory network analysis, epigenetic regulation, discovery of novel genetic variations, QTL identification using linkage mapping and association mapping approaches, genetic engineering, molecular breeding and novel approaches for understanding and manipulation of abiotic stress response, are welcome.

Molecular genetics. --- Plants, Cultivated --- Botany --- Botany, Economic. --- Crops, Agricultural --- Genetics. --- Molecular aspects. --- microbiology. --- molecular genetics --- signal transduction --- transcriptional regulatory network --- functional genomics --- virus-induced gene silencing --- abiotic stress

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This open access textbook leads the reader from basic concepts of chromatin structure and function and RNA mechanisms to the understanding of epigenetics, imprinting, regeneration and reprogramming. The textbook treats epigenetic phenomena in animals, as well as plants. Written by four internationally known experts and senior lecturers in this field, it provides a valuable tool for Master- and PhD- students who need to comprehend the principles of epigenetics, or wish to gain a deeper knowledge in this field. After reading this book, the student will: Have an understanding of the basic toolbox of epigenetic regulation; Know how genetic and epigenetic information layers are interconnected; Be able to explain complex epigenetic phenomena by understanding the structures and principles of the underlying molecular mechanisms; Understand how misregulated epigenetic mechanisms can lead to disease.

Epigenetics. --- Genetic regulation. --- Molecular genetics. --- Genetics --- Molecular biology --- Gene expression --- Gene expression regulation --- Gene regulation --- Biosynthesis --- Cellular control mechanisms --- Molecular genetics --- Regulation --- Genetics and Genomics --- Biomedicine, general --- Cell Biology --- Human Genetics --- Epigenetics --- Biomedical Research --- Medical Genetics --- Cancer --- Chromatin --- Chromatin Dynamics --- Cellular Memory --- DNA Methylation --- Epigenetic Textbook --- Gene Regulation --- Gene Silencing --- Histone Modification --- Imprinting --- Inheritance --- Metabolism --- Nucleus --- Open Access --- Pluripotency --- Reprogramming --- RNA Mechanisms --- Transcription --- X Chromosome inactivation --- Genetics (non-medical) --- Medical research --- Cellular biology (cytology) --- Epigenètica

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The new frontier of pharmaceutical sciences is gene therapy, which is the use of molecules able to interact directly with the expression of the genetic material of the patient as well as of the disease-causing guest (bacteria, virus, parasites, and tumor cells). Among the molecules of interest for gene therapy, a relevant role is played by small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules able to interfere with the expression of genes of interest for some diseases. However, siRNA molecules, even if they are powerful as drugs, are difficult to deliver since they are sensitive to enzymes present in plasma and they are large and negatively charged, so are difficult to administer into the cell nuclei, since the cell walls are scarcely permeable to large molecules and are also negatively charged. Therefore, the focus of research on siRNA-based therapies is their delivery, which can be performed by chemical modification, association with aptamers or polycations, or embedding them into properly designed liposomes. This book is centered on the more recent development in siRNA delivery techniques toward the clinical applications of this potent class of drugs.

oligonucleotide delivery --- light-activated release --- intracellular release --- liposome --- indocyanine green --- drug co-delivery --- methotrexate --- siRNA --- antitumor effect --- mixed micelles --- targeted delivery system --- cationic liposome --- folate --- folate receptor --- cationic cholesterol derivative --- siRNA delivery --- gene knockdown --- tumor-targeting --- VEGFA --- VEGFR1 --- endoglin --- peptide --- angiogenesis --- gene silencing --- migration --- proliferation --- endothelial cells --- RNAi therapeutics --- amphiphilic dendrons --- PAMAM dendrimers --- self-assembling --- nanovectors --- covalent dendrimers --- NABDs --- liposomes --- clinical trials --- drug delivery --- nanoparticle --- carbonate apatite --- ERBB2 --- AKT --- breast cancer --- ovarian cancer --- polymer --- lipid --- delivery --- poly(ethylene) imine --- PEI --- RNA --- tyrosine-modification --- tumor xenograft --- magnetic nanoparticle --- iron oxide --- BCL2 --- BIRC5/survivin --- oral cancer --- aptamers --- cancer --- nanoparticles --- STAT6 --- polyaspartamide --- pegylation --- polyamine --- polyplexes --- asthma --- n/a

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Discovered in plants at the turn of the century, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be fundamental to many aspects of plant biology. These small (20–24 nt) regulatory RNAs are derived via processing from longer imperfect double-stranded RNAs. They are then incorporated into silencing complexes, which they guide to (m)RNAs of high sequence complementarity, resulting in gene silencing outcomes, either via RNA degradation and/or translational inhibition. Some miRNAs are ancient, being present in all species of land plants and controlling fundamental processes such as phase change, organ polarity, flowering, and leaf and root development. However, there are many more miRNAs that are much less conserved and with less understood functions. This Special Issue contains seven research papers that span from understanding the function of a single miRNA family to examining how the miRNA profiles alter during abiotic stress or nutrient deficiency. The possibility of circular RNAs in plants acting as miRNA decoys to inhibit miRNA function is investigated, as was the hierarchical roles of miRNA biogenesis factors in the maintenance of phosphate homeostasis. Three reviews cover the potential of miRNAs for agronomic improvement of maize, the role of miRNA-triggered secondary small RNAs in plants, and the potential function of an ancient plant miRNA.

microRNAs --- abiotic stress --- Arabidopsis thaliana --- heat stress --- photosynthesis --- maize (Zea mays L.) --- immunoprecipitation --- tapetum --- resurrection plants --- plastocyanin --- dehydration --- Tripogon loliiformis --- secondary siRNA --- RT-qPCR --- putrescine --- DRB2 --- phosphate (PO4) stress --- argonaute --- development --- miR399-directed PHO2 expression regulation --- circRNA --- Solanum lycopersicum --- copper deficiency --- salt stress --- DOUBLE-STRANDED RNA BINDING (DRB) proteins DRB1 --- P5CS --- proline --- phasiRNA --- drought stress --- agronomic traits --- Colorado potato beetle --- Cu-microRNA --- plant --- miR171 --- STTM --- aleurone --- PHOSPHATE2 (PHO2) --- vegetative growth --- nutrient availability --- miRNAs --- non-coding RNA --- pollen --- tomato --- flowering --- crop improvement --- callose --- miRNA target gene expression --- circular RNAs --- miRNA --- programmed cell death --- DRB4 --- microRNA (miRNA) --- target mimicry --- MYB transcription factors --- post-transcriptional gene silencing --- desiccation --- miR399 --- miR159 --- copper protein --- drought --- microRNAs (miRNAs) --- microRNA --- GAMYB --- tasiRNA --- phosphorous (P)