Progress 11/15/14 to 02/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience has consisted of other scientists who have heard the results of this research presented in the form of seminars and posters at meetings. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One student and one postdoc received training. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Clare Casteel presented results of virus-vector interactions at University of California, in Riverside, CA, at the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland, and in Melbourne, Australia at the Australian Entomological Society meeting. The graduate student will present the new data at the American Society of Plant Biology this year. A manuscript is currently being prepared from this work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The long term goal of my research are to establish an agriculturally relevant model with S. tuberosum (potato), M. persicae, and PLRV to investigate the functions of virus infection in vector-plant interactions. The specific objectives of this proposed project were (1) to investigate the molecular mechanisms that underpin potato-M. persicae-PLRV interactions and (2) determine the functions of specific PLRV proteins in vector-plant relationships. We have made made great progress on both objectives: Objective 1: We have examined nutrient and hormone changes in infected tissue. We found PLRV inhibited aphid induced phytohormone induction in potatoes and other Solanacous plants. We determined these changes in hormones concentration alter plant-aphid interactions (fecundity and settling) using pharmacological approaches. We also measured free amino acid content in the plant +/- PLRV and +/- aphids. PLRV increased the availability of amino acids, however when aphids were present on PLRV infected or healthy plants amino acids content was reduced in the plant compared to controls. Objective 2: We finished cloning out all major proteins from PLRV and expressing them in host plants. We screened the protein library to determine which specific PLRV proteins are critical for changes in aphid-plant interactions on infected plants. Two proteins have been identified that increase aphid performance and we determined expression of these proteins also influence plant defense. We are now investigating the viral proteins in more detail.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
PLRV alters plant-vector interactions through changes in phytohormones
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Progress 11/15/14 to 11/14/15
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience has consisted of other scientists who have heard the results of this research presented in the form of seminars and posters at meetings. Changes/Problems:No changes to report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training was provided for one student. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Clare Casteel presented results of virus-vector interactions at Univerisity of California, Davis at the Department of Plant Sciences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In the next year we will focus on examining amino acids, phytohormones, and Buchnera responses in infected insects and investigate the impact of the PLRV proteins on insect behavior. We will also analyze the plant RNAseq data.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This year the grant was transferred to UC Davis from Cornell University. The transfer was initiated in September 2014 and the funds were not offically transferred until July 2015. Thus we did not have access to the funding to continue the project until after July 2015. We have initiated a no-cost extension for the project so we can finish the work. However we have made progress on both objectives: Objective 1: We have finished analyizing the aphid RNAseq data and have submitted the plant RNAseq data. We have began to examine nutrient and hormone changes in infected tissue. Objective 2: We have finished cloning out all major protiens from PLRV and expressing them in host plants.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Casteel CL. (2015) Impact of Potato leafroll virus on aphid-plant interactions. August 3, 2015. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
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