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.