Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

2017

Department

Biological Sciences

Abstract

1. Although many vector‐borne plant pathogens can alter vector behaviour to the pathogen's benefit, how plants might counter such manipulation is unknown.

2. In the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (‘TYLCV’)–Bemisia tabaci–tomato interaction, TYLCV‐mediated changes in Bemisia feeding improves viral uptake and transmission. We tested how jasmonic acid (‘JA’), a central regulator of plant antiherbivore defences, affected the ability of TYLCV to (A) manipulate Bemisia behaviour; and (B) infect plants.

3. Viruliferous Bemisia fed much more than virus‐free whiteflies on JA‐deficient plants, more than virus‐free whiteflies on controls, and similarly on high‐JA plants.

4. When TYLCV was transmitted via whiteflies, infection levels were lower in high‐JA plants relative to JA‐deficient and control plants. When TYLCV was transmitted via direct injection, JA‐overexpressed and JA‐deficient plants had similar infection levels. The JA‐mediated cessation of vector manipulation thus reduced infection and lessened pathogen impact.

5. The presence of the JA pathway in many plant species suggests that similar interactions may be widespread in nature.

Supplementary Data

Data from this publication has been deposited in Dryad. Available: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.73p8s

Share

COinS