The Open Virology Journal

2020, 14 : 22-29
Published online 2020 December 31. DOI: 10.2174/1874357902014010022
Publisher ID: TOVJ-14-22

REVIEW ARTICLE
 The Evolutionary Significance of Generalist Viruses with Special Emphasis on Plant Viruses and their Hosts

Mayank Kumar1 , Ruchika Bharti2 and Tushar Ranjan3, *

*Address correspondence to this author at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur 813 210, India; E-mail: mail2tusharranjan@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The host range of a virus is defined as the number of species a virus potentially infects. The specialist virus infects one or few related species while the generalist virus infects several different species, possibly in different families. Origin of generalist viruses from their specialist nature and the expansion of the host range of the generalist virus occur with the host shift event in which the virus encounters and adapts to a new host. Host shift events have resulted in the majority of the newly emerging viral diseases. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of generalist over specialist viruses and the unique features of plant viruses and their hosts that result in a higher incidence of generalist viruses in plants.

Keywords:

Generalist viruses, Specialist viruses, Host range, Host switch, Zoonoses, Emerging diseases, Plant viruses.