Impacts of Cucurbit Chlorotic Yellows Virus (CCYV) on Biological Characteristics of Its Vector Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) MED Species

Abstract

Plant viruses can change the phenotypes and defense pathways of the host plants and the performance of their vectors to facilitate their transmission. Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) ( Crinivirus ), a newly reported virus occurring on cucurbit plants and many other plant species, is transmitted specifically by Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 (B biotype) and MED (Q biotype) cryptic species in a semipersistent manner. This study evaluated the impacts of CCYV on B. tabaci to better understand the plant-virus-vector interactions. By using CCYV- B. tabaci MED - cucumber as the model, we investigated whether or how a semipersistent plant virus impacts the biology of its whitefly vector. CCYV mRNAs were detectable in nymphs from first to fourth instars and adults of B. tabaci with different titers. Nymph instar durations and adult longevity of female whiteflies greatly extended on CCYV-infected plants, but nymph instar durations and adult longevity of male whiteflies were not significantly influenced. In addition, the body length and oviposition increased in adults feeding on CCYV-infected plants, but the hatching rates of eggs and survival rates of different stages were not affected. Most interestingly, the sex ratio (male:female) significantly reduced to 0.5:1 in whitefly populations on CCYV-infected plants, while the ratio remained about 1:1 on healthy plants. These results indicated that CCYV can significantly impact the biological characteristics of its vector B. tabaci . It is speculated that CCYV and B. tabaci have established a typical mutualist relationship mediated by host plants.

A plant virus enhances odorant‐binding protein 5 (OBP5) in the vector whitefly for more actively olfactory orientation to the host plant

“…Plant viruses can not only alter the phenotypes, nutritive values and defensive metabolites of their host plants, but also change the biological characteristics of insect vectors to promote virus transmission. [41][42][43][44][45] Previous studies have suggested that virusfree whiteflies prefer to feed on Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV)-infected tomato plants, but viruliferous whiteflies lost their preference for TYLCV-infected plants, thus increasing the probability of virus transmission to uninfected host plants. 33 The current research showed a similar phenomenon in a semipersistent plant virus, which again confirms the vector manipulation hypothesis.…”

Research on Drawing Attention to Overlooked Viruses in Plant Viruses Causing Yellowing-Type Symptoms in Cucurbitaceae

“…Nearly 80% of the plant viruses depend on vectors for transmission. Infection by a virus may alter the phenotypic and volatiles of the host plants as well as the insect vectors' behaviors (He et al 2021).…”

“…According to earlier research (Jones 2003, Bragard et al 2013, Polston et al 2014, B. tabaci transmits more than 500 species of plant viruses from five families and five genera. Some of these viruses have seriously harmed agricultural production and resulted in financial losses (He et al 2021).…”

First report of Cucurbit Chlorotic Yellows Virus (CCYV) and Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV) in Algeria and lack of evidence for seed transmission of ToLCNDV in melon and pumpkin.

“…The decrease in defensive biomolecules and increase in amino acids may be responsible for whitefly feeding preferences toward CCYV-infected hosts (Zhang et al, 2022). In other findings they suggest that CCYV can have a significant impact on the biological features of its vector, B. tabaci, assuming that CCYV and B. tabaci have formed a typical mutualist relationship mediated by host plants (He et al, 2021).…”