Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) Transmits Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus

Abstract

Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) is one of the co‐infection pathogens that cause corn (maize) lethal necrosis, but the transmission mechanism of MCMV is not yet clear. In order to determine the ability of western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis; WFT) to transmit MCMV, imported maize seeds from Thailand were germinated in an insect‐free greenhouse and the seedlings were tested for the transmission by WFT of chlorotic mottle virus disease. The thrips (WFT), starved for 48 h then allowed to feed for 30 min on maize plants infected with MCMV or asymptomatic maize plants, were transferred to healthy seedlings. After 35 days, the seedlings with WFT from diseased maize plants showed chlorotic mottle symptoms, whereas seedlings with WFT from asymptomatic maize plants remained healthy. A single band of 711 bp was amplified by RT‐PCR using primers MCMV‐F/MCMV‐R from the MCMV‐infected plants and WFT collected from the diseased plants. Sequencing of the amplified product and further sequence comparison indicated that the two viruses from both sources showed 99% similarity of nucleotides and they should be regarded as identical. In addition, isometric particles c. 30 nm in diameter, characteristic of MCMV, were found in the WFT samples from diseased maize plants. Thus, it is concluded that WFT transmits MCMV. Our findings suggest that corn lethal necrosis disease can be controlled or minimized by the eradication of WFT from the field or greenhouses.

Maize chlorotic mottle virus exhibits low divergence between differentiated regional sub-populations

“…1a ) 4 – 9 . MCMV can spread via soil water, seed, mechanical transmission, and is semi-persistently vectored by chrysomelid beetles and thrips ( Frankliniella ) 3 , 7 , 10 – 14 .

Figure 1 ( a ) Global distribution of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV), coloured by year of first report 55 .

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Control of Virus Diseases in Maize

“…MCMV has a single-stranded positive sense RNA genome that is encased in a 30-nm icosahedral virion. The virus is transmitted in a semipersistent manner by both Chrysomelid beetles and thrips (Frankliniella williamsii Hood and F. occidentalis Pergande) (Cabanas, Watanabe, Higashi, & Bressan, 2013;Nault et al, 1978;Zhao, Ho, Wu, He, & Li, 2014). Although there are a number of poaceous experimental hosts of MCMV, maize and sugarcane are the only known natural hosts (Lapierre & Signoret, 2004;Wu, Zhou, & Wu, 2014).…”

Insight into the three-dimensional structure of maize chlorotic mottle virus revealed by Cryo-EM single particle analysis

“…Under experimental conditions, MCMV is found to be transmitted by six chrysomelid beetles (Chrysomela populi) (Nault et al, 1978), while recent reports suggest that MCMV can also be transmitted by corn thrips (Frankliniella williamsi ) (Cabanas et al, 2013) and flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) (Zhao et al, 2014). Nowadays, MCMV is widespread (Xie et al, 2011;Cabanas et al, 2013;Lukanda et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2014a;Zhao et al, 2014). However, the determinants of the MCMV transmission by these insect vectors have not been found yet.…”