Plant defense negates pathogen manipulation of vector behavior

1. Although many vector-borne plant pathogens can alter vector behavior to the pathogen's benefit, how plants might counter such manipulation is unknown. 2. In the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (‘TYLCV’)-Bemisia tabaci-tomato interaction, TYLCV-mediated changes in Bemisia feeding improves viral uptake and transmission. We tested how jasmonic acid (‘JA’), a central regulator of plant anti-herbivore defenses, affected the ability of TYLCV to (A) manipulate Bemisia behavior; and (B) infect plants. 3. Viruliferous Bemisia fed much more than virus-free whiteflies on JA-deficient plants, more than virus-free whiteflies on controls, and similarly on high-JA plants. 4. When TYLCV was transmitted via whiteflies, infection levels were lower in high-JA plants relative to JA-deficient and control plants. When TYLCV was transmitted via direct injection, JA-overexpressed and JA-deficient plants had similar infection levels. The JA-mediated cessation of vector manipulation thus reduced infection...