Wheat streak mosaic virus coat protein is a determinant for vector transmission by the wheat curl mite

Authors

Satyanarayana Tatineni, USDA-ARSFollow
Anthony J. McMechan, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Gary L. Hein, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2017

Citation

Tatineni, S., McMechan, A. J., Hein, G. L. 2018. Wheat streak mosaic virus coat protein is a determinant for vector transmission by the wheat curl mite. Virology, 514, 42-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2017.10.018

Comments

U.S. government work.

Abstract

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus; family Potyviridae), is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer). The requirement of coat protein (CP) for WSMV transmission by the wheat curl mite was examined using a series of viable deletion and point mutations. Mite transmission of WSMV was completely abolished with deletions comprising CP amino acids 58–100. In contrast, the amino-proximal (amino acids 6–27 and 36–57) and carboxy-terminal (14 amino acids) regions of CP were expendable for mite transmission. Mutation of aspartic acid residues at amino acid positions 289 or 326 (D289A or D326A) at the carboxy-proximal region of CP significantly reduced mite transmission. Remarkably, every wheat plant infected by mutants D289A or D326A through mite transmission but not with in vitro transcripts contained a second-site mutation of R131C and N275H, respectively. Collectively, these data demonstrate for the first time that CP is a determinant for an eriophyid-transmitted plant virus.