Mexico as a hotspot for plant virus evolution: eco-evolutionary regimes shaping viral emergence
Por:
Alcántar-Aguirre F.C., Zamora-Macorra E.J., Gutiérrez U.V., Carrillo-Tripp J., Diaz-Lara A., Aviña-Padilla K.
Publicada:
1 ene 2026
Ahead of Print:
1 abr 2026
Resumen:
Copyright © 2026 Alcántar-Aguirre, Zamora-Macorra, Gutiérrez, Carrillo-Tripp, Diaz-Lara and Aviña-Padilla.Plant virus and viroid emergence in Mexico reflects the operation of distinct eco-evolutionary regimes rather than isolated epidemiological events. Mexico’s pronounced agroecological heterogeneity, together with its status as a center of crop domestication and diversification, has generated long-term arenas for virus–host–vector coevolution, repeated viral introductions, and rapid adaptive diversification. In this perspective, we synthesize historical, epidemiological, and molecular evidence and organize it into three dominant eco-evolutionary regimes: endemic persistence shaped by long-term coevolution, evolutionary entrenchment following viral invasion, and rapid emergence driven by agricultural intensification and system connectivity. Case studies spanning annual and perennial crops illustrate how vector ecology, host genetic diversity, and production practices interact to shape viral evolutionary trajectories and epidemiological outcomes. Collectively, these regimes explain recurring patterns of plant virus and viroid emergence across Mexican agroecosystems and reveal shared evolutionary mechanisms underlying both long-term endemic stability and episodic epidemic outbreaks. We argue that recognizing and integrating these eco-evolutionary regimes provides a predictive framework for plant virus surveillance and embeds evolutionary principles into disease prevention and management strategies, not only in Mexico but in agroecological systems worldwide where similar structural and connectivity dynamics shape viral diversification.
Filiaciones:
Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Queretaro, Mexico
Department of Agricultural Preparatory School, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Texcoco, Estado de México, Mexico
Department of Parasitology, Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo, Mexico
Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro Campus, Santiago de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
Department of Cell Biology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
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