Cauliflower mosaic virus uses the host sensory system for instantaneous transmission by an insect vector
Résumé
Many plant and animal viruses are spread by insect vectors. Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) is aphid-transmitted, with the virus being taken up from specialized transmission bodies (TB) formed within infected plant cells. However, the precise mechanism of TB-mediated virus acquisition by aphids is unknown. We have shown that TBs react instantly to the presence of the vector by ultra-rapid and reversible redistribution of their key components onto microtubules throughout the cell. Enhancing or inhibiting the TB reaction pharmacologically or by using a mutant virus enhanced or inhibited transmission, respectively, confirming its requirement for efficient virus-acquisition. Our results reveal a fascinating, and hitherto unforeseen mechanism whereby CaMV shares the horst’s perception of the aphid, translating it into an independent response. The unattended capability of viruses to react, via the host, to the outside world opens new horizons, i.e. investigating the impact of “perceptive behaviors” on other steps of the infection cycle. We try to understand which mechanisms and signalization pathway are involved in this phenomenon. This novel concept in virology, where viruses respond directly or via the host to the outside world, opens new research horizons, that is, investigating the impact of ‘perceptive behaviors’ on other steps of the infection cycle