Occurrence of Wheat Curl Mite and Mite-Vectored Viruses of Wheat in Colorado and Insights into the Wheat Virome.

The wheat curl mite (WCM) is a vector of three important wheat viruses in the U.S. Great Plains: wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), and High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV). This study was conducted to determine the current profile of WCM and WCM-transmitted viruses of wheat and their occurrence in Colorado, including novel wheat viruses via virome analysis. There was a high rate of virus incidence in symptomatic wheat samples collected in 2019 (95%) and 2020 (77%). Single infection of WSMV was most common in both years, followed by coinfection with WSMV + TriMV and WSMV + HPWMoV. Both type 1 and type 2 mite genotypes were found in Colorado. There was high genetic diversity of WSMV and HPWMoV isolates, whereas TriMV isolates showed minimal sequence variation. Analysis of WSMV isolates revealed novel virus variants, including one isolate from a variety trial, where severe disease symptoms were observed on wheat varieties carrying Wsm2, a known virus resistance locus. Virome analysis identified two to four sequence variants of all eight RNA segments of HPWMoV, which suggests co-occurrence of multiple genotypes within host populations and presence of a variant of HPWMoV. A possible novel virus in the family Tombusviridae and several mycoviruses were identified. Overall, the data presented here highlight the need to define the effect of novel WCM-transmitted virus variants on disease severity and the role of novel viruses.

Diurnal feeding as a potential mechanism of osmoregulation in aphids.

Diurnal variation in phloem sap composition has a strong influence on aphid performance. The sugar-rich phloem sap serves as the sole diet for aphids and a suite of physiological mechanisms and behaviors allow them to tolerate the high osmotic stress. Here, we tested the hypothesis that night-time feeding by aphids is a behavior that takes advantage of the low sugar diet in the night to compensate for osmotic stress incurred while feeding on high sugar diet during the day. Using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique, we examined the effects of diurnal rhythm on feeding behaviors of bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) on wheat. A strong diurnal rhythm in aphids as indicated by the presence of a cyclical pattern of expression in a core clock gene did not impact aphid feeding and similar feeding behaviors were observed during day and night. The major difference observed between day and night feeding was that aphids spent significantly longer time in phloem salivation during the night compared to the day. In contrast, aphid hydration was reduced at the end of the day-time feeding compared to end of the night-time feeding. Gene expression analysis of R. padi osmoregulatory genes indicated that sugar breakdown and water transport into the aphid gut was reduced at night. These data suggest that while diurnal variation occurs in phloem sap composition, aphids use night-time feeding to overcome the high osmotic stress incurred while feeding on sugar-rich phloem sap during the day.

Should I fight or should I grow now? The role of cytokinins in plant growth and immunity and in the growth-defence trade-off.

BACKGROUND: Perception and activation of plant immunity require a remarkable level of signalling plasticity and control. In Arabidopsis and other plant species, constitutive defence activation leads to resistance to a broad spectrum of biotrophic pathogens, but also frequently to stunted growth and reduced seed set. Plant hormones are important integrators of the physiological responses that influence the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions. SCOPE: We review the mechanisms by which the plant hormone cytokinin regulates both plant growth and response to pathogens, and how cytokinins may connect these two processes, ultimately affecting the growth trade-offs observed in plant immunity.