Recently, the Crop Disease and Insect Pest Monitoring and Management Team from our college published an online research paper titled "Direct effects of barley yellow dwarf virus on the performance, parasitoid resistance, and feeding behavior of its vector Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)" in the journal Pest Management Science. This paper delves into the direct impact of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) on its vector, the Sitobion avenae. This research not only observes the dynamics of aphid populations from an ecological perspective but also conducts an in-depth analysis of aphid feeding behavior and biological interactions, systematically validating the Vector Manipulation Hypothesis. Liu Chiping, a graduate student from our college, is the first author of this paper, while Associate Professors Hu Zuqing and Luo Chen are the corresponding authors.
The Vector Manipulation Hypothesis suggests that pathogens enhance their transmission to new hosts by influencing the behavior of their vectors (i.e., the insects that transmit them). This hypothesis has been widely applied and validated in studies on the interaction between plant viruses and insect vectors. Previous research by the same laboratory, published in Journal of Pest Science with the title "Barley yellow dwarf virus-infected wheat plant modulated selection behavior of vector aphids" explored how BYDV-infected wheat plants regulate the selection behavior of vector aphids and revealed the mechanism by which volatile compounds from virus-infected wheat affect aphid preference. However, there have been relatively few reports on how BYDV directly affects (excluding the confounding effects of infected host plants) its vector aphids.
In this study, the team first successfully established infected and uninfected clonal lines of aphids by extracting BYDV suspensions directly from infected wheat leaves and feeding them to aphids mixed with artificial feed. Subsequent experimental results showed that compared to the control group, aphids infected with BYDV exhibited significant decreases in lifespan and daily growth rate. Additionally, the parasitism rate, mummification rate, and hatchability of these infected aphids by parasitic wasps were also significantly reduced. Furthermore, infected aphids spent more time on non-probing and salivary secretion behaviors, while the total ingestion and feeding time were shorter. This research, excluding the influence of host plants, provides new evidence for the Vector Manipulation Hypothesis and offers important scientific insights for the management and control of plant viruses and their vectors.
Research on the Direct Impact of BYDV on Insect Vectors
This research was funded by National Key Research and Development Program (2022YFD1400403), Shaanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Program (2023-YBNY-072), and others.
Original link：https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ps.8235
