Elsevier

Virology

Volumes 479–480, May 2015, Pages 278-289
Virology

Review
Insect vector-mediated transmission of plant viruses

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2015.03.026Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • The majority of plant viruses rely on vectors for plant-to-plant spread.

  • Viral structural proteins are required for virion retention at specific sites in vectors.

  • Transmission of some viruses requires non-structural proteins to bridge the virion and the insect.

  • Many circulative, replicative viruses require non-structural proteins for dissemination in vectors

  • Basic knowledge of virus–vector interactions has led to new biorational control opportunities.

Abstract

The majority of plant-infecting viruses are transmitted to their host plants by vectors. The interactions between viruses and vector vary in duration and specificity but some common themes in vector transmission have emerged: 1) plant viruses encode structural proteins on the surface of the virion that are essential for transmission, and in some cases additional non-structural helper proteins that act to bridge the virion to the vector binding site; 2) viruses bind to specific sites in or on vectors and are retained there until they are transmitted to their plant hosts; and 3) viral determinants of vector transmission are promising candidates for translational research aimed at disrupting transmission or decreasing vector populations. In this review, we focus on well-characterized insect vector-transmitted viruses in the following genera: Caulimovirus, Crinivirus, Luteovirus, Geminiviridae, Reovirus, Tospovirus, and Tenuivirus. New discoveries regarding these genera have increased our understanding of the basic mechanisms of virus transmission by arthropods, which in turn have enabled the development of innovative strategies for breaking the transmission cycle.

Keywords

Capsid protein
Virus glycoprotein
Aphid
Whitefly
Thrips
Planthopper
Leafhopper
Hemipteran
Virus–vector interactions

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