Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) isolates were analysed from symptomatic cassava collected between 1997 and 2008 in the major cultivation regions of East Africa. An analysis of complete RNA genomes of seven isolates from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda and Malawi revealed a common genome structure, but the isolates clearly clustered in two distinct clades. The first comprised isolates from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, north-western Tanzania and the CBSV described previously, and shared between 87 and 95 % nucleotide sequence identity, whilst the second included isolates from coastal regions of Mozambique and Tanzania, which shared only 70 % nucleotide sequence identities with isolates of the first clade. When the amino acid sequences of viral proteins were compared, identities as low as 47 % (Ham1) and 59 % (P1) between the two clades were found. An antiserum obtained against the capsid protein of a clade 1 isolate identified a 43 kDa protein in clade 1 isolates and a 45 kDa protein in clade 2 isolates. Several cassava cultivars were susceptible to isolates of clade 2 but resistant to those of clade 1. The differences observed both in biological behaviour and in genomic and protein sequences indicate that cassava brown streak disease in East Africa is caused by at least two distinct virus species. It is suggested that those of clade 1 retain the species name Cassava brown streak virus, whilst those of clade 2 be classified as Cassava brown streak Mozambique virus.

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is a severe virus disease of cassava and prevalent in the eastern regions of Africa. The disease is characterized by distinct vein chlorosis and streak symptoms on leaves and stems and necrosis of storage roots. This necrosis can encompass large areas of the root, rendering it inedible so that the entire cassava harvest can be lost. African cassava varieties are susceptible to either of the two viruses causing the disease, cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Uganda cassava brown streak virus, and while there are less sensitive varieties, all cassava eventually succumb to the disease. The lack of CBSD resistance in African cassava varieties prompted this search for new sources of virus resistance in the diversity of South American cassava germplasm held in the collection at International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Columbia. Our search for CBSD resistance in South American cassava germplasm accessions revealed that most of the 238 South American cassava lines infected with CBSV established systemic virus infections with moderate to severe disease symptoms on leaves and stems. Fifteen cassava accessions did not become virus infected, remained free of symptoms, and CBSV was undetected by qRT-PCR. When tuberous roots of those lines were examined, necrotic tissue was found in eight lines and CBSV was detected. The remaining seven cassava accessions remained clear of symptoms on all tissues and organs and were virus free. A broad spectrum of virus resistance also including other virus isolates was confirmed for the breeding lines DSC167 and DSC118. While detailed infection experiments with other cassava lines selected for resistance are still ongoing, this indicates that the resistance identified may also hold against a broader diversity of CBSVs. Taken together, we present the results of a comprehensive study on CBSV resistance and susceptibility in cassava germplasm accessions from South America. The virus resistance in cassava germplasm identified provides compelling evidence for the invaluable contribution of germplasm collections to supply the genetic resources for the improvement of our crops.

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Two-component plant defenses such as cyanogenic glucosides are produced by many plant species, but phloem-feeding herbivores have long been thought not to activate these defenses due to their mode of feeding, which causes only minimal tissue damage. Here, however, we report that cyanogenic glycoside defenses from cassava (Manihot esculenta), a major staple crop in Africa, are activated during feeding by a pest insect, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and the resulting hydrogen cyanide is detoxified by conversion to beta-cyanoalanine. Additionally, B. tabaci was found to utilize two metabolic mechanisms to detoxify cyanogenic glucosides by conversion to non-activatable derivatives. First, the cyanogenic glycoside linamarin was glucosylated 1–4 times in succession in a reaction catalyzed by two B. tabaci glycoside hydrolase family 13 enzymes in vitro utilizing sucrose as a co-substrate. Second, both linamarin and the glucosylated linamarin derivatives were phosphorylated. Both phosphorylation and glucosidation of linamarin render this plant pro-toxin inert to the activating plant enzyme linamarase, and thus these metabolic transformations can be considered pre-emptive detoxification strategies to avoid cyanogenesis.

Cruciferous plants in the order Brassicales defend themselves from herbivory using glucosinolates: sulfur-containing pro-toxic metabolites that are activated by hydrolysis to form compounds, such as isothiocyanates, which are toxic to insects and other organisms. Some herbivores are known to circumvent glucosinolate activation with glucosinolate sulfatases (GSSs), enzymes that convert glucosinolates into inactive desulfoglucosinolates. This strategy is a major glucosinolate detoxification pathway in a phloem-feeding insect, the silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a serious agricultural pest of cruciferous vegetables. In this study, we identified and characterized an enzyme responsible for glucosinolate desulfation in the globally distributed B. tabaci species MEAM1. In in vitro assays, this sulfatase showed a clear preference for indolic glucosinolates compared with aliphatic glucosinolates, consistent with the greater representation of desulfated indolic glucosinolates in honeydew. B. tabaci might use this detoxification strategy specifically against indolic glucosinolates since plants may preferentially deploy indolic glucosinolates against phloem-feeding insects. In vivo silencing of the expression of the B. tabaci GSS gene via RNA interference led to lower levels of desulfoglucosinolates in honeydew. Our findings expand the knowledge on the biochemistry of glucosinolate detoxification in phloem-feeding insects and suggest how detoxification pathways might facilitate plant colonization in a generalist herbivore.