Physical contact transmission of Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus by Myzus persicae

PLoS One. 2021 Jun 23;16(6):e0252856. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252856. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), a critical plant virus, has caused significant economic losses in cucurbit crops worldwide. It has not been proved that CGMMV can be transmitted by an insect vector. In this study, the physical contact transmission of CGMMV by Myzus persicae in Nicotiana benthamiana plants was confirmed under laboratory conditions. The acquisition rate increased with time, and most aphids acquired CGMMV at 72 h of the acquisition access period (AAP). Besides, the acquired CGMMV was retained in the aphids for about 12 h, which was efficiently transmitted back to the healthy N. benthamiana plants. More importantly, further experiments suggested that the transmission was mediated by physical contact rather than the specific interaction between insect vector and plant virus. The results obtained in our study contribute to the development of new control strategies for CGMMV in the field.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aphids / physiology*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Insect Vectors / virology*
  • Nicotiana / virology*
  • Plant Diseases / virology*
  • Plant Leaves / virology*
  • Tobamovirus / physiology*
  • Virus Diseases / transmission*
  • Virus Diseases / virology

Supplementary concepts

  • Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (U20A2036), Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (LQ20C140003), Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo City (2019A610404), Ningbo Science and Technology Innovation 2025 Major Project (2019B10004). This work was sponsored by K.C.Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.