VAPA, an innovative "virus-acquisition phenotyping assay" opens new horizons in research into the vector-transmission of plant viruses.

VAPA, an innovative "virus-acquisition phenotyping assay" opens new horizons in research into the vector-transmission of plant viruses.

Blog Article

Host-to-host transmission--a key step in plant virus infection cycles--is ensured predominantly by vectors, especially aphids and related insects.A deeper understanding of the mechanisms of virus acquisition, which is critical to vector-transmission, might help to design future virus control strategies, because any newly discovered molecular or cellular process is a potential target for hampering viral spread within host populations.With this aim in mind, an aphid membrane-feeding assay was developed where aphids transmitted honeywell pa404a1009 two non-circulative viruses [cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) and turnip mosaic virus] from infected protoplasts.

In this assay, virus acquisition occurs exclusively from living cells.Most interestingly, we also show that CaMV is less efficiently transmitted by aphids in the presence of oryzalin--a microtubule-depolymerising drug.The example presented here demonstrates that our technically simple "virus-acquisition phenotyping telemarkskongen flue assay" (VAPA) provides a first opportunity to implement correlative studies relating the physiological state of infected plant cells to vector-transmission efficiency.