Data from: 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 and lessened pathogen impact.
5. The presence of the JA pathway in many plant species suggests that similar interactions may be widespread in nature.