Plant virus community structuring is shaped by habitat heterogeneity and traits for host plant resource utilisation

The goal of the study is to test whether environmental heterogeneity among plant communities affects the structure of plant-virus interactions by connecting virus traits for host resource use to habitat heterogeneity. The approach adopted combines HTS, network and meta-community analyses to reveal the extent to which alterations in species balance caused by human activities relate to virus host range and mode of transmission. The two hypotheses tested are whether there is an association between: (i) habitat heterogeneity and virus community structuring; and (ii) virus community structuring and resource utilisation trait responses. With most viruses found, their usage of host plants was shaped by habitat specificity, key generalist viruses connecting different communities and likely host reservoirs. The virus trait response and virus species distribution relationship to habitat heterogeneity was more variable at larger than smaller spatial scales. Moreover, the prediction of virus trait responses to habitat heterogeneity is more certain at spatial scales smaller than the plant community level. The outcome of this study can be used to track trait responses to hosts likely to be important in forecasting disease emergence.

本研究旨在通过将病毒在宿主资源利用方面的性状（virus traits）与生境异质性（habitat heterogeneity）相联系，探究植物群落间的环境异质性（environmental heterogeneity）是否会影响植物-病毒互作（plant-virus interactions）的结构。本研究采用的方法结合了HTS（High-throughput sequencing，高通量测序）、网络分析与元群落（meta-community）分析，以揭示人类活动引发的物种平衡改变与病毒宿主范围（virus host range）、传播模式（mode of transmission）之间的关联程度。本研究验证两项假说：一是生境异质性与病毒群落结构（virus community structuring）之间存在关联；二是病毒群落结构与资源利用性状响应之间存在关联。在已发现的多数病毒中，其宿主植物的利用模式受生境特异性调控，关键广食性病毒可介导不同群落间的联系，且可能作为宿主储存库（host reservoirs）。在较大空间尺度下，病毒性状响应、病毒物种分布与生境异质性的关联相较于较小空间尺度更为多变。此外，在小于植物群落尺度的空间范围内，对病毒性状响应与生境异质性关联的预测更具确定性。本研究的成果可用于追踪宿主的性状响应，这对预测疾病暴发具有重要意义。