Molecular Plant Virology

My research focuses on two major fields of virus-host interactions.

First we study RNA virus interactions with cellular membranes.  Plant cells have an amazing ability to adapt and survive the impacts of virus infection.  Cellular membranes provide a network for communication with all parts of the cell.  Membranes vesicles transport cargo to various locations within and the cell as well as depositing cargo outside of the cell.  Membranes contain channels for ion signaling and sensors for activating changes in gene expression.  All RNA viruses depend upon cellular membranes as scaffolds for virus replication, encapsidation, and egress.  Creating these scaffolds requires significant rearrangement of cellular membranes.  Our investigations are to understand the cell adaptive machinery to the changes that viruses bring to cells.  We are particularly interested in the cellular adaptive machinery, known as the ER stress machinery, which is well conserved between plants and animals and humans.  The primary goal of our work is to understand how plant virus proteins at the ER manipulate cellular signaling to maintain a cellular environment that is favorable for infection.

Second, we are developing a new program to investigate the molecular mechanisms governing rose rosette virus infection.  We have developed an infectious clone technology and use Arabidopsis and roses to study the genetic basis of infection.

2019                Fellow of the Institute of Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, Texas A&M University

2015                Regents Distinguished Researcher Award from Oklahoma State University

National Service

2017-2020       Councilor for Plant Virology to the American Society of Virorology

2013-2015                   President, OSU Sigma XI chapter

2015-2021            Senior Editor for Molecular Plant Pathology Journal

1. Kormelink, R., Verchot, J., Tao, X., Desbiez, C. (2021).  The Bunyavirales:  The plant-infecting counterparts.  Viruses, 13(5):842. doi: 10.3390/v13050842.
2. Herath, V., and Verchot, J. (2021).  Transcriptional regulatory networks associate with early stages of potato virus X infection of Solanum tuberosum.  Int. J. Mol. Sci. vol 22: 2837. doi: 10.3390/ijms22062837.
3. Verchot, J, Jackson, AO, and Simon AE (2021).  In tribute to Michael Goodin.  Viruses vol 13: 78. doi: 10.3390/v13010078.
4. Goodin, M, and Verchot, J (2021) Introduction to Special Issue of Plant Virus Emergence, Viruses, vol 13: doi: 10.3390/v13010055.
5. Verchot J, Pajerowska-Mukhtar, KM.  (2021) UPR signaling at the nexus of plant viral, bacterial, and fungal defenses.  Curr Opin. Virol. doi: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.11.001
6. Herath, V, and Verchot J (2020) Insight into the bZIP gene family in Solanum tuberosum:  Genome and transcriptome analysis to understand the roles of gene diversification in spatiotemporal gene expression and function.  Int. J. Mol. Sci vol 22: doi: 10.3390/ijms22010253.
7. Herath, V., Gayral, M., Miller, R.K. Verchot, J (2020).  BiP and the unfolded protein response are important for potyvirus and potexvirus infection.  Plant Signaling and Behavior.  DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1807723.
8. Herath, V., Gayral, M., Adhikari, N, Miller, R.K., and Verchot J (2020).  Genome-wide identification and characterization of Solanum tuberosum BiP genes reveal the role of the promoter architecture in BiP gene diversity.  Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68407-2.
9. Gayral, M., Gaguancela O.A., Vasquez, E., Herath, V., Flores, F. J., Dickman, M. B, and Verchot J.  (2020).  Multiple ER-to-nucleus stress signaling pathways are activated during Plantago asiatica mosaic virus and Turnip mosaic virus infection in Arabidopsis thaliana.  Vol 103, 1233-1245.  DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14798.
10. Verchot, J, Herath, V., Urrutia, C.D., Gayral, M, Lyle K., Shires, M.K., Ong, K, and Byrne, D. (2020).  Development of a reverse genetic system for studying rose rosette virus in whole plants. Molec. Plant Microbe Interact.  Vol 33https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-04-20-0094-R.
11. Azizi, A., Verchot J., Moieni, A., Shams-bakhsh, M (2020).   Efficient silencing gene construct for resistance to multiple common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) viruses vol 10, 278.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-020-02276-4.
12. Herath, V., Romay, G., Urrutia, C.D., and Verchot J (2020).  Family level phylogenies reveal relationships of plant viruses within the Order Bunyavirales.  Viruses, 12, 1010. doi:10.3390/v12091010.