Dr. Éva Várallyay - MATE Research
Overview
Dr. Éva Várallyay is interested in diagnostic improvement and basic research in plant virology and plant microbiome research. Her group use high-throughput sequencing for virome and metagenome analyses of plant pathogens in grapevine, fruit trees and weeds neighbouring crop fields. Based on her previous experience in RNAi research, they investigate possible antiviral silencing suppressor activity of the recently described uncharacterized viruses and gene-expression changes of the miRNA pattern in the pathogen-infected plants. In their group, they investigate multiple infections of woody plants and the possible virus reservoir role of weeds growing at the edges of crop fields.
She authored and co-authored 60 research articles in high-impact scientific journals (2342 citations: Hirsch index:22) (www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=8559964400).
Éva Várallyay has collaborated with several research groups across Europe (Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Slovenia, and Croatia), and she has successfully applied for six national and one bilateral research grant.
She is an Associate Editor of the Frontiers in Microbiology and Frontiers in Plant Science and is a Guest Editor of MDPI Plants. She reviews regularly in high-impact scientific journals (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9085-942X).
30 MSc and 4 BSc theses (including 8 foreign students) and 6 PhD theses were successfully defended with her supervision.
Research keywords:
Publications
Galbács, Z. N., Agyemang, E. D., Pásztor, G., Takács, A. P., & Várallyay, É. (2024). Viromes of Monocotyledonous Weeds Growing in Crop Fields Reveal Infection by Several Viruses Suggesting Their Virus Reservoir Role. Plants, 13(18), 2664. doi.org/10.3390/plants13182664
Jaksa-Czotter N, Demián E, Sáray R, Salánki K, Várallyay É. Comparative functional analyses of the movement and coat proteins of grapevine Pinot gris virus, encoded by symptomatic and asymptomatic variants. Front Plant Sci. 2025 Sep 25;16:1659802. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1659802. PMID: 41079326; PMCID: PMC12507868
Emese Demian, Nikoletta Jaksa-Czotter, Eva Varallyay, Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus Is Present in Different Non-Vitis Hosts. 2022, Plants, 11, 1830, doi.org/10.3390/plants11141830
Pesti R, Kontra L, Paul K, Vass I, Csorba T, Havelda Z, Varallyay E, Differential gene expression and physiological changes during acute or persistent plant virus interactions may contribute to viral symptom differences., 2019, PLoS ONE, 14(5): e0216618 (doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216618)
Várallyay, É. and Havelda, Z., VSRs control AGO1 via miR168 induction. 2013, Molecular Plant Pathology, 14: 567-575 doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12029
Projects
Investigation of virus reservoir role of weeds growing in agricultural and horticultural crop fields and natural habitats; National Research, Development and Innovation Office K146087; (2024-2027 Principal Investigator)
Climate change and globalisation are constantly creating a new situation in the given plant - virus - vector ecosystem. In our research, we would conduct virological surveys using metagenomic methods in agricultural cultures: in grain fields, vineyards, orchards, and in natural habitats. Our results will reveal whether weeds play a role in shaping the virus composition of cultivated plants and natural flora.
Effect of multiple virus infections on the antiviral RNA interference in perennial woody hosts (grapevine and fruit trees); National Research, Development and Innovation Office K134895; (2020-2025 Principal Investigator)
Perennial woody plants can be infected with several viruses and viroids. During their multiple infection symptoms strengthen and will affect the quality and quantity of the fruit. In this project, we uncover viral strategies and investigate how universally or uniquely they suppress the defence reaction of the host.
Investigation of plant pathogens causing decline in fruit tree plantations by molecular biology methods; National Research, Development and Innovation Office K127951; (2018-2023 Principal Investigator)
Using cutting-edge new HTS-based metagenomics studies, we investigated the composition of pathogen complexes in fruit trees at declining orchards and described the molecular mechanism which changes lead to the development of symptoms and decline of the plantation.
