Data from: A virus responds instantly to the presence of the vector on the host and forms transmission morphs

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 events during TB-mediated virus acquisition by aphids are unknown. Here, we show 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 this TB reaction pharmacologically or by using a mutant virus enhanced or inhibited transmission, respectively, confirming its requirement for efficient virus-acquisition. Our results suggest that CaMV can perceive aphid vectors, either directly or indirectly by sharing the host perception. 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.

诸多动植物病毒均可通过昆虫介体传播。花椰菜花叶病毒（Cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMV）可经蚜虫传毒，病毒颗粒从受感染植物细胞内形成的特化传播体（specialized transmission bodies, TB）中被获取。然而，蚜虫通过传播体介导的病毒获毒过程中的具体分子事件尚未明确。本研究发现，特化传播体可对介体的存在做出即时响应：其关键组分在细胞内发生超快速且可逆的重新分布，转移至微管之上。通过药理学手段或使用突变病毒增强或抑制该传播体响应，可分别提升或抑制病毒传毒效率，证实该过程是高效病毒获毒所必需的。研究结果表明，花椰菜花叶病毒可直接或通过共享宿主的感知机制来感知蚜虫介体。这一病毒可直接或借助宿主响应外界环境的病毒学新概念，为探究「感知行为」对病毒侵染循环其他阶段的影响开辟了全新的研究方向。