Plant-derived ribosome-inactivating proteins involved in defense against plant viruses

Plant viruses are the most serious pathogens causing severe damage to crops worldwide. A variety of conventional strategies are currently being employed to control the infection and minimize the pathogenic effects of plant viruses. Developing induced resistance in plants against viruses is an effective approach. The resistance-inducing antiviral proteins from non-host plants could be utilized against a variety of viruses. It is known that plants produce ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) which confer resistance against different virus infections. These proteins, when exogenously applied on leaves, are easily absorbed into the damaged local tissue, and sometimes its induction translocated into the whole plant. Once the virus is inoculated, these proteins become responsible for inhibiting the virus multiplication in host plants. In this review, the involvement of RIPs of plant origin in defense against plant viruses is well summarized, and the mechanism of antiviral action is discussed. The transgenic approach utilizing RIPs for antiviral effects has also been emphasized on. This study provides in-depth insights about the antiviral activity of different RIPs and their potential role in reducing the effect of virus infections in plants.