A leafhopper saliva protein mediates horizontal transmission of viral pathogens from insect vectors into rice phloem.

ABSTRACT: Numerous insects transmit viruses together with saliva to plant phloem, but the roles of saliva components remain elusive. Here, we report that calcium-binding protein (CBP), a universal insect saliva protein, is modified to benefit horizontal transmission of a devastating rice reovirus into plant phloem. CBP effectively competes with virus-induced filaments to target and traverse actin-based apical plasmalemma into saliva-stored cavities in salivary glands of leafhopper vector. Thus, the inhibition of CBP expression by viral infection facilitates filament-mediated viral secretion into salivary cavities and then into plant phloem. Furthermore, virus-mediated reduction of CBP secretion causes an increase of cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels in rice, triggering substantial callose deposition

SUBMITTER: Wu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8897447 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature