First record of White clover cryptic virus-2 in New Zealand

Guy, P. L.; Gerard, P.J.

doi:10.1007/s13314-018-0327-0

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Taking multiple virus infections as an example, follow-up studies should be conducted to understand the host response to single and multiple infections. Plant health risk assessment should actually be carried out for every HTS detected virus more especially that there is evidence of the existence of cryptic [ 139 , 140 , 141 ] and even beneficial viruses [ 142 ]. The availability of scientific knowledge as such will enable plant health, policymakers and regulators to make correct decisions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Throughput Sequencing Application in the Diagnosis and Discovery of Plant-Infecting Viruses in Africa, A Decade Later

Ibaba

Gubba

2020

Plants

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High-throughput sequencing (HTS) application in the field of plant virology started in 2009 and has proven very successful for virus discovery and detection of viruses already known. Plant virology is still a developing science in most of Africa; the number of HTS-related studies published in the scientific literature has been increasing over the years as a result of successful collaborations. Studies using HTS to identify plant-infecting viruses have been conducted in 20 African countries, of which Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania share the most published papers. At least 29 host plants, including various agricultural economically important crops, ornamentals and medicinal plants, have been used in viromics analyses and have resulted in the detection of previously known viruses and novel ones from almost any host. Knowing that the effectiveness of any management program requires knowledge on the types, distribution, incidence, and genetic of the virus-causing disease, integrating HTS and efficient bioinformatics tools in plant virology research projects conducted in Africa is a matter of the utmost importance towards achieving and maintaining sustainable food security.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Throughput Sequencing Application in the Diagnosis and Discovery of Plant-Infecting Viruses in Africa, A Decade Later

Ibaba

Gubba

2020

Plants

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“…One study found active replication of a Secovirus in honey bees (Li et al 2014), yet the results are debated and additional experiments are needed to support the findings (Miller et al 2014). White clover cryptic virus 2 is the only dsRNA virus we found in this study and has only recently been recorded in New Zealand (Guy and Gerard 2018). The virus has rarely been found in insects, although WCC2 has been detected in bumble bees (Pascall et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Multi-host viruses in Argentine ants and honey bees: Increased viral disease in honey bees is associated with Argentine ants

Dobelmann¹

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Emerging infectious diseases threaten public health, livestock economies, and wildlife. Human-mediated species introductions can alter host and pathogen communities that shape the dynamics of infectious diseases. Several RNA viruses that have been linked to population declines in wild pollinators and losses of managed honey bees have been detected in multiple other species and are suspected to circulate within insect communities. Yet, we lack an understanding of how disease dynamics are affected by the introduction of novel species. These introduced species include invasive ants, which can disturb honey bees and become a pest in apiaries. The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a globally successful invader that has been observed to attack bees and multiple bee-associated viruses have been detected in this ant species. Here, I studied interactions between Argentine ants and European honey bees (Apis mellifera) and how these interactions affect viral dynamics in beehives. I first tested a range of pollinators and associated insects for RNA viruses that are pathogenic to honey bees. Bee-associated viruses showed evidence for active viral replication in several pollinator species but also in species that cohabit in beehives such as ants, spiders, and cockroaches. Using phylogenetic analyses, I found that viral transmission within communities was shaped by geographic origin rather than being restricted by species barriers. Next, I used a longitudinal field study to test whether Argentine ant presence affected pathogen infections and survival in beehives. Argentine ants tested positive for three bee-associated viruses even before beehives were moved into ant-infested sites. Increased levels of deformed wing virus in beehives in autumn were associated with ant presence, although hive mortality was not affected by ants over the duration of this experiment. I used RNA sequencing on a subset of honey bee samples collected during autumn to study the RNA virome and identify transcriptomic responses associated with ant presence. Twelve RNA viruses were found in beehives, among those, three plant-associated viruses and an unclassified RNA virus that had not previously been observed in honey bees. Deformed wing virus showed the highest viral titres in most hives, but was only marginally affected by ant presence. Sacbrood virus and tomato ringspot virus levels were increased in hives with ants, however, both viruses are not known to infect Argentine ants and the plant-associated tomato ringspot virus seems unlikely to affect bee health. Lastly, I tested the feasibility of controlling Argentine ants in apiaries using a novel pest control strategy. RNA interference is a conserved cellular gene regulation mechanism that could be used to silence specific genes in ants. Using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to silence two immune-related genes in Argentine ants was expected to increase pathogen susceptibility, which could then lead to higher pathogen levels that reduce ant numbers. My results indicated that no consistent immune silencing could be achieved in the field. Immune gene expression changes were observed, but pathogen titres were not affected, and ant numbers stayed high. Argentine ant control using a conventional insecticide significantly increased bee survival, whereas many hives in the dsRNA and control group abandoned their hives due to ant attacks. Although population control was not successful using the two Argentine ant-specific dsRNAs, insights into ant immunity and ant-bee interactions could improve the development of novel control strategies. Bee-associated viruses have repeatedly been detected in ant species, yet, this is one of the first studies to investigate whether ants affect viral dynamics in honey bees. I showed that invasive Argentine ants are associated with increases in viral pathogens in honey bees. The mechanisms by which ants affect bee disease are unknown, although there is some evidence for ants transmitting viruses or causing stress responses in bees that affect immunity. The findings of this thesis highlight the risk of invasive ant species disrupting pollination services. New and environmentally-friendly methods to control invasive species are urgently needed to improve bee health and limit the spread of invasive ants, such as Argentine ants. The high prevalence of bee-associated viruses and viral diversity in ants suggests that pathogens that are suitable for population control might be present in ant populations, although risks of spillovers into other species need to be carefully considered.

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First record of White clover cryptic virus-2 in New Zealand

Abstract: White clover cryptic virus-2 is recorded for the first time in New Zealand in three commercial cultivars of white clover: Grasslands Huia, Grasslands Kopu II and Grasslands Sustain. An RT-PCR assay was used to amplify and sequence a~590 bp fragment of the coat protein gene.

Cited by 2 publications

References 9 publications

High-Throughput Sequencing Application in the Diagnosis and Discovery of Plant-Infecting Viruses in Africa, A Decade Later

High-Throughput Sequencing Application in the Diagnosis and Discovery of Plant-Infecting Viruses in Africa, A Decade Later

Multi-host viruses in Argentine ants and honey bees: Increased viral disease in honey bees is associated with Argentine ants

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