Tomato yellow leaf curl virus manipulates Bemisia tabaci, MEAM1 both directly and indirectly through changes in visual and volatile cues

Authors: PARIS, THOMSON - University Of Florida; JOHNSTON, NICHOLAS - University Of Florida; STRYZEWSKI, IRIS - University Of Florida; GREISHEIMER, JESSICA - University Of Florida; REIMER, BENJAMIN - University Of Florida; MALFA, KATHI - University Of Florida; Allan, Sandra - Sandy; MARTINI, XAVIER - University Of Florida

Submitted to: PeerJ
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2024
Publication Date: 7/23/2024
Citation: Paris, T., Johnston, N., Stryzewski, I., Greisheimer, J., Reimer, B., Malfa, K., Allan, S.A., Martini, X. 2024. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus manipulates Bemisia tabaci, MEAM1 both directly and indirectly through changes in visual and volatile cues. PeerJ. 12.Article number e17665. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17665.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17665

Interpretive Summary: The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is one of the most devastating pests of row-crop vegetables worldwide, damaging crops directly through feeding, and indirectly through the transmission of many different viruses, including the geminivirus, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus. Infestation of crop plants with insects and/or infection with pathogens has been reported to alter volatile profiles of host plants and potentially affecting host choice by insects. Researchers from University of Florida and USDA-ARS in Gainesville, FL examined how infection with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus affected behavior of B. tabaci behavior at different stages of virus infection in tomatoes. Additionally, changes in tomato hosts' color and volatile profiles using color spectrophotometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were evaluated. Using Y-tube olfactometer tests ,the infection status of B. tabaci and the infection stage of the virus were found to influence host selection, with uninfected whiteflies showing a preference for virus-infected hosts, particularly during the late stages of infection. Attraction of virus-infected B. tabaci to visual targets significantly differed from non-infected B. tabaci. Late-stage infected plants had larger surface areas reflecting yellow-green wavelengths and higher emissions of methyl salicylate in their volatile profiles. These findings shed new light on several critical mechanisms involved in the viral manipulation of an insect vector and its economically important host. Understanding the vision and olfactory environment of infected host plants is critical in the development of effective push-pull management strategies.

Technical Abstract: The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, is one of the most devastating pests of row-crop vegetables worldwide, damaging crops directly through feeding and indirectly through the transmission of many different viruses, including the geminivirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Y-tube olfactometer tests were conducted at different stages of TYLCV infection in tomatoes to understand how TYLCV affects B. tabaci behavior. We also recorded changes in tomato hosts' color and volatile profiles using color spectrophotometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We found that the infection status of B. tabaci and the infection stage of TYLCV influenced host selection, with uninfected whiteflies showing a preference for TYLCV-infected hosts, especially during the late stages of infection. Viruliferous B. tabaci attraction to visual targets significantly differed from non-viruliferous B. tabaci. Late-stage infected hosts had larger surface areas reflecting yellow-green wavelengths and higher emissions of methyl salicylate in their volatile profiles. These findings shed new light on several critical mechanisms involved in the viral manipulation of an insect vector and its economically important host.