Environmental Conditions Modulate Plant Virus Vertical Transmission and Survival of Infected Seeds

Area of Science:

• Plant pathology
• Virology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Seed transmission is a key strategy for plant virus survival and spread.
• Environmental factors significantly influence plant-virus interactions, but their impact on seed viability and transmission remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how environmental conditions and virus infection affect seed viability and transmission rates.
• To model the epidemiological consequences of altered environmental conditions on plant virus prevalence and persistence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized turnip mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus, and Arabidopsis thaliana as model systems.
• Assessed seed germination rates (as a proxy for viability) and virus seed transmission rates under standard and altered temperature, CO2, and light intensity.
• Developed and parameterized a mathematical epidemiological model.

Main Results:

• Altered environmental conditions generally reduced overall seed viability but increased virus transmission rates.
• Infected seeds exhibited greater viability under environmental stress compared to non-infected seeds.
• Simulations predicted increased virus prevalence and persistence under altered conditions.

Conclusions:

• Environmental stress can enhance the viability of virus-infected seeds, potentially conferring a benefit to the host plant.
• Increased infected seed viability and transmission rates under altered conditions can lead to higher virus prevalence and persistence in plant populations.
• This study provides novel insights into the role of environmental factors in plant virus epidemics.