Upregulation of temperature susceptibility in Bemisia tabaci upon acquisition of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV)

Acquisition of plant viruses has various effects on physiological mechanisms in vector insects. Bemisia tabaci is the only known vector of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), which is a serious virus affecting tomato cultivars. In this study, the lifespan of Q1 biotype was compared between non-viruliferous (NV) and TYLCV-viruliferous (V) whiteflies. Total lifespan from egg to adult death of NV whiteflies was 62.54 days but 10.64 days shorter in V whiteflies. We investigated the temperature susceptibility of B. tabaci by comparing mortalities as well as heat shock protein (hsp) mRNA levels between NV and V whiteflies. For this, NV and V whiteflies were exposed for either 1 or 3 h at 4, 25, and 35 °C. The mortality of V whiteflies was higher than NV ones following exposure at either 4 or 35 °C, but there was no significant difference at 25 °C. Analysis of the expression level of heat shock protein (hsp) genes using quantitative real-time PCR showed that both cold and heat shock treatments stimulated higher expression of hsps (hsp40, hsp70, and hsp90) at various rates in V whiteflies than NV ones, but there was no difference at 25 °C. All together, our results show that TYLCV acquisition accelerated the developmental rate and increased susceptibility to thermal stress in B. tabaci. Therefore, this modification may result in reduced vector longevity due to increased metabolic energy utilization. Our results provide insights into the complex interaction between vector fitness and thermal stress in relation to the acquisition and transmission of plant viruses.

Highlights► Developmental rate of Bemisia tabaci was accelerated by the TYLCV acquisition. ► Mortality of viruliferous whiteflies was higher by heat and cold shock treatments than non-viruliferous ones. ► Thermal stress upregulated hsp levels in viruliferous whiteflies. ► Our results provide insights into the complex interaction between vector insects and plant virus.