Grapevine red blotch virus is transmitted by the three-cornered alfalfa hopper in a circulative, nonpropagative mode with unique attributes.

2021 
The transmission mode of grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV, genus Grablovirus, family Geminiviridae) by Spissistilus festinus, the three-cornered alfalfa hopper, is unknown. By analogy with other members in the family Geminiviridae, we hypothesized circulative, nonpropagative transmission. Time course experiments revealed GRBV in dissected guts, hemolymph and heads with salivary glands following a 5-, 8- and 10-day exposure to infected grapevines, respectively. After a 15-day acquisition on infected grapevines and subsequent transfer on alfalfa, a non-host of GRBV, the virus titer decreased over time in adult insects, as shown by qPCR. Snap bean proved to be a feeding host of S. festinus and a pseudo-systemic host of GRBV following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated delivery of an infectious clone. The virus was efficiently transmitted by S. festinus from infected snap bean plants to excised snap bean trifoliates (90%) or grapevine leaves (100%) but less efficiently from infected grapevine plants to excised grapevine leaves (10%) or snap bean trifoliates (67%). Transmission of GRBV also occurred transstadially but not via seeds. The virus titer was significantly higher in guts and hemolymph relative to heads with salivary glands, and in adults emanating from third compared with first instars that emerged on infected grapevine plants and developed on snap bean trifoliates. This study demonstrated circulative, nonpropagative transmission of GRBV by S. festinus with an extended acquisition access period compared with other viruses in the family Geminiviridae and marked differences in transmission efficiency between grapevine, the natural host, and snap bean, an alternative herbaceous host.
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