A plant virus satellite RNA directly accelerates wing formation in its insect vector for spread.

ABSTRACT: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) often accompanies a short RNA molecule called a satellite RNA (satRNA). When infected with CMV in the presence of Y-satellite RNA (Y-sat), tobacco leaves develop a green mosaic, then turn yellow. Y-sat has been identified in the fields in Japan. Here, we show that the yellow leaf colour preferentially attracts aphids, and that the aphids fed on yellow plants, which harbour Y-sat-derived small RNAs (sRNAs), turn red and subsequently develop wings. In addition, we found that leaf yellowing did not necessarily reduce photosynthesis, and that viral transmission was not greatly affected despite the low viral titer in the Y-sat-infected plants. Y-sat-infected plants can therefore support a sufficient number of aphids to allow for efficient virus transmission. Our resu

SUBMITTER: Jayasinghe WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8648847 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature