Demonstration of Insect Vector-Mediated Transfer of a Betasatellite between Two Helper Viruses
Noun Fouad1, Martine Granier1, Stéphane Blanc1
1PHIM Plant Health Institute, CIRAD, INRAE, Univ Montpellier, Institut Agro, IRD, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Viruses
|September 28, 2024
Summary
Betasatellites, crucial for begomovirus disease severity, can switch helper viruses and hosts. This study shows cotton leaf curl Gezira betasatellite (CLCuGeB) can be transmitted by tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) in tomato plants.
Area of Science:
- Plant virology
- Molecular biology
- Agricultural science
Background:
- Begomoviruses, transmitted by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), cause significant crop damage globally.
- Betasatellites are satellite molecules that enhance begomovirus disease severity and crop yield losses.
- Understanding betasatellite spread and association with helper viruses is critical for disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transmission and host-switching capabilities of betasatellites.
- To determine if betasatellites can associate with different helper viruses.
- To elucidate the pathways of betasatellite transfer between viruses and hosts.
Main Methods:
- Vector transmission experiments using Bemisia tabaci.
- Infection studies in different host plants (okra and tomato).
- Molecular analysis of virus-host-vector interactions.
Main Results:
- Cotton leaf curl Gezira betasatellite (CLCuGeB) was successfully transmitted by tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) in tomato plants, a different host and helper virus than its original association (CLCuGeV in okra).
- This new association formed irrespective of whether the helper virus and betasatellite encountered each other in the host plant or within the whitefly vector.
- Two distinct pathways for betasatellite transfer between helper viruses and hosts were identified.
Conclusions:
- Betasatellites exhibit remarkable flexibility in associating with different helper viruses and spreading across hosts.
- This adaptability facilitates the spread of betasatellites in diverse begomovirus-infected environments.
- Findings underscore the dynamic nature of virus-satellite interactions and their implications for plant disease epidemiology.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria
2.8K
Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a...
2.8K
01:10Retrovirus Life Cycles
45.7K
Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
45.7K
02:33Retroviruses
12.2K
Retroviruses and retrotransposons both insert copies of their genetic elements into the genome of the host cell. Thus, the viral genes are passed on when the host genome is replicated or translated. A typical retroviral DNA sequence contains 3-4 genes that encode the different proteins required for its structural assembly and function as a molecular parasite. This DNA is transcribed into a single mRNA, which is very similar in structure to conventional mRNAs, i.e., it is capped at the 5’...
12.2K
00:57Viral Recombination
23.3K
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
23.3K