Tospoviruses Infecting Bulb Crops: Evolution, Diversity, Vector Specificity and Control

Objectives. The overall goal of the proposed research was to develop a mechanistic understanding of tospovirus evolution, diversity and vector specificity that could be applied to development of novel methods for limiting virus establishment and spread. Our specific objectives were: 1) To characterize newly intercepted tospoviruses in onion, Hippeastrum and other bulb crops and compare them with the known tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and its isolates; 2) To characterize intra- and interspecific variation in the virus transmission by thrips of the new and distinct tospoviruses. and, 3) To determine the basis of vector specificity using biological, cellular and molecular approaches. Background. New tospoviruses infecting bulb crops were detected in Israel and the US in the mid-90s. Their plant host ranges and relationships with thrips vectors showed they differed from the type member of the Tospovirus genus, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Outbreaks of these new viruses caused serious crop losses in both countries, and in agricultural and ornamental crops elsewhere. In the realm of plant infecting viruses, the tospoviruses (genus: Tospovirus , family: Bunyaviridae ) are among the most aggressive emerging viruses. Tospoviruses are transmitted by several species of thrips in a persistent, propagative fashion and the relationships between the viruses and their thrips vectors are often specific. With the emergence of new tospoviruses, new thrips vector/tospovirus relationships have also arisen and vector specificities have changed. There is known specificity between thrips vector species and particular tospoviruses, although the cellular and molecular bases for this specificity have been elusive. Major conclusions, solutions and achievements. We demonstrated that a new tospovirus, iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) caused "straw bleaching" in onion (Allium cepa) and lisianthus necrosis in lisianthus (Eustoma russellianum). Characterization of virus isolates revealed genetic diversity among US, Brazilian, Dutch and Israeli isolates. IYSV was not seed transmitted, and in Israel, was not located in bulbs of infected plants. In the US, infected plants were generated from infected bulbs. The relationship between IYSV and Thrips tabaci was shown to be specific. Frankliniella occidentalis, the primary vector of many other tospoviruses, did not transmit IYSV isolates in Israel or the US. Furthermore, 1': tabaci populations varied in their transmission ability. Transmission was correlated to IYSV presence in thrips salivary glands. In Israel, surveys in onion fields revealed that the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman was the predominant species and that its incidence was strongly related to that of IYSV infection. In contrast, in the U.S., T. tabaci and F. occidentalis were present in high numbers during the times sampled. In Israel, insecticides reduced onion thrips population and caused a significant yield increase. In the US, a genetic marker system that differentiates non-thrips transmissible isolates from thrips transmissible isolate demonstrated the importance of the M RNA to thrips transmission of tospoviruses. In addition, a symbiotic Erwinia was discovered in thrips and was shown to cause significant artifacts in certain types of virus binding experiments. Implications, scientific and agricultural. Rapid emergence of distinct tospoviruses and new vector relationships is profoundly important to global agriculture. We advanced the understanding of IYSV in bulb crops and its relationships with thrips vector species. The knowledge gained provided growers with new strategies for control and new tools for studying the importance of particular viral proteins in thrips specificity and transmission efficiency.