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. 2019 Aug 22;16(1):106.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-019-1215-8.

Changes in Bemisia tabaci feeding behaviors caused directly and indirectly by cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus

Shaohua Lu  1   2 , Mingshun Chen  3 , Jingjing Li  1 , Yan Shi  1 , Qinsheng Gu  4 , Fengming Yan  5
Affiliations

Changes in Bemisia tabaci feeding behaviors caused directly and indirectly by cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus

Shaohua Lu et al. Virol J. .

Abstract

Background: Plant viruses can affect vector's behaviors in order to enhance viral transmission. Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) (genus Crinivirus) is an emergent RNA plant virus and is transmitted specifically by biotypes B and Q of tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), in a semipersistent manner.

Methods: We used the electrical penetration graph (EPG) to investigate the effect of CCYV on the feeding behaviors of B. tabaci biotypes B and Q.

Results: CCYV could affect, both directly and indirectly, the feeding behaviors of B. tabaci to various degrees, depending on biotypes and sexes of the insect. CCYV showed stronger direct effects on biotype Q than on biotype B in terms of increased non-phloem probing and phloem salivation. CCYV increased non-phloem probing and phloem salivation more on females than on males of biotype Q, and increased phloem salivation more on females than on males of biotype B. CCYV had stronger indirect effects, via virus-infested plants, on biotype B than on biotype Q by enhancing phloem sap ingestion and feeding bouts. CCYV increased non-phloem probing and feeding bouts more on males than on females of biotype B, and decreased phloem sap ingestion more on males than on females on biotype Q indirectly.

Conclusions: The results clearly indicated that CCYV affects the feeding behaviors of B. tabaci, which may lead to increased ability of the B. tabaci for CCYV transmission.

Keywords: Bemisia tabaci; Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus; Electrical penetration graph; Feeding behaviors; Semipersistent virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Effects of CCYV on non-phloem EPG variables of Bemisia tabaci biotypes B and Q. The three treatments include: non-viruliferous B. tabaci whitefly feeding on non-viruliferous cucumber plants (NVW vs. NVP), viruliferous B. tabaci whitefly feeding on non-viruliferous cucumber plants (VW vs. NVP), and viruliferous B. tabaci whitefly feeding on viruliferous cucumber plants (VW vs. VP). Data are presented as means ± SE. Asterisks * or ** indicate statistically significant differences between biotypes B and Q on plants under the same treatments at P < 0.05 or P < 0.01. Lowercase and uppercase letters represent the comparison of biotype B (a, b, c) or biotype Q (A, B, C) on plants under different treatments. Letters above the bars indicate statistically significant among treatments (Tukey test, P < 0.05). EPG waveforms: C = pathway; pd. = potential drop (intracellular puncture); E1 = phloem salivary secretion; E2 = phloem sap ingestion. E = E1 + E2
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effects of CCYV on phloem EPG variables of Bemisia tabaci biotypes B and Q. The three treatments include: non-viruliferous B. tabaci whitefly feeding on non-viruliferous cucumber plants (NVW vs. NVP), viruliferous B. tabaci whitefly feeding on non-viruliferous cucumber plants (VW vs. NVP), and viruliferous B. tabaci whitefly feeding on viruliferous cucumber plants (VW vs. VP). Data are presented as means ± SE. Asterisks * or ** indicate statistically significant differences between biotypes B and Q on plants under the same treatments at P < 0.05 or P < 0.01. Lowercase and uppercase letters represent the comparison of biotype B (a, b, c) or biotype Q (A, B, C) on plants under different treatments. Letters above the bars indicate statistically significant among treatments (Tukey test, P < 0.05) Percentage of E (%) = equals the percentage of total duration of E (E1 + E2). EPG waveforms: E1 = phloem salivary secretion; E2 = phloem sap ingestion. E = E1 + E2
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