Essential Site Maintenance: Authorea-powered sites will be updated circa 15:00-17:00 Eastern on Tuesday 5 November.
There should be no interruption to normal services, but please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any issues.

loading page

A PLANT VIRUS MODIFIES ROOT VOLATILES TO ATTRACT ITS SOIL NEMATODE VECTOR TO INFECTED PLANTS
  • +1
  • Pierre-Alain Van Griethuysen,
  • Kelly Redeker,
  • Roy Neilson,
  • Sue Hartley
Pierre-Alain Van Griethuysen
University of York
Author Profile
Kelly Redeker
University of York

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Roy Neilson
The James Hutton Institute
Author Profile
Sue Hartley
University of Sheffield
Author Profile

Abstract

Plant derived volatiles mediate interactions between plants, their pathogenic viruses, and vectors responsible for viral transmission. These volatile-dependent mechanisms have not been demonstrated belowground, despite soil organisms being some of the most devastating agricultural pests. Here we identify a critical component of the signal used by the plant virus, Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) to attract its soil nematode vector. A significant modification in infected plants was enhanced 2-ethyl-1-hexanol production. Both nematode chemotaxis and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol production correlated strongly with plant viral load. Addition of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol to uninfected plants made them significantly more attractive to nematodes than untreated counterparts. Removal of TRV RNA-2 genes significantly reduced production of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and nematode attraction. This work demonstrates, for the first time, that TRV-driven alterations in root volatile emissions leads to increased chemotaxis of the virus’s nematode vector, a finding with implications for sustainable management of both soil nematodes and viral pathogens in agricultural systems.