Exploring virus diversity in the potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae), an economically important agricultural pest

Authors: Thekke Veetil, Thanuja; Lagos-Kutz, Doris; DOMIER, LESLIE - Retired ARS Employee; McCoppin, Nancy; HARTMAN, GLEN - Retired ARS Employee; Clough, Steven

Submitted to: Viruses
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2024
Publication Date: 8/16/2024
Citation: Thekke-Veetil, T., Lagos-Kutz, D.M., Domier, L.L., McCoppin, N.K., Hartman, G.L., Clough, S.J. 2024. Exploring virus diversity in the potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae), an economically important agricultural pest. Viruses. 16. Article 1305. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16081305.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v16081305

Interpretive Summary: Many insects feed on plants. During the feeding process, they may deliver or pick up viruses. The potato leafhopper (PLH) is an example of serious insect pest that feeds on plants. Although the PLH feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops and is found throughout the United States, it has not been shown to transmit plant viruses. Due to the large number of PLH in agricultural environments, we decided to see if we could detect plant viruses in the PLH by randomly sequencing RNA molecules isolated from PLH found in suction traps across the Midwest. We found many viruses within these insects, 18 in total. Ten of these viruses were previously known plant viruses, but eight were new discoveries. Having viral sequences also allowed for the analysis of evolutionary relationships. Our study revealed a diverse group of plant viruses circulating in the PLH population. Our findings will be of interest to plant pathologist and agronomists as it highlights the importance of monitoring the emergence and circulation of plant-infecting viruses in agriculturally important insect pests, including the potato leaf hopper.

Technical Abstract: Potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae), PLH, is a serious pest that feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops and is found throughout the United States, but not known to vector plant-infecting viruses. We probed the diversity of virus sequences in field populations of PLH collected from four Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota. High-throughput sequencing of total RNAs extracted from PLH assembled sequences of fifteen positive-stranded RNA viruses, two negative-stranded RNA viruses, and one DNA virus were conducted. These sequences included ten previously described plant viruses and sequences of eight putative insect-infecting viruses. All but one of the eight putative insect-specific viruses were novel and classified as three solemoviruses, one iflavirus, one phenuivirus, one lispivirus and one ambidensovirus. Detailed analyses of the novel genome sequences and their evolutionary relationships with the related members of the families were conducted. Our study revealed a diverse group of plant viruses circulating in the PLH population and discovered novel insect viruses expanding the knowledge on the untapped virus diversity in economically important crop pests. Our findings also highlight the importance of monitoring the emergence and circulation of plant-infecting viruses in agriculturally important arthropod pests.