Aphis glycines as a Vector of Persistently and Nonpersistently Transmitted Viruses and Potential Risks for Soybean and Other Crops

Abstract

The recently introduced soybean aphid (Aphis glycines), which is widespread in the soybean-growing regions in the United States, is the only aphid able to develop large colonies on soybean. Although its potential as a vector of plant viruses is recognized, reports on virus transmission efficiency by this aphid species are limited. In the present study, we examined the ability of A. glycines to transmit several economically important viruses. The results showed that A. glycines transmitted the potyviruses Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) and Soybean mosaic virus from soybean to soybean more efficiently than Myzus persicae. However, M. persicae transmitted the alfamovirus Alfalfa mosaic virus and the potyviruses Tobacco etch virus (TEV) and Tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) from tobacco to tobacco more efficiently than A. glycines. This is the first report to demonstrate that the soybean aphid can vector TEV and TVMV, two economically important tobacco viruses. This also is the first report to document successful transmission of BYMV by A. glycines. All attempts to transmit the nepovirus Tobacco ringspot virus by A. glycines were unsuccessful, regardless of the length of the acquisition and inoculation feeding periods. Although the luteovirus Soybean dwarf virus (SbDV) was widely distributed in red and white clover in Kentucky, it was not detected in soybean. All transmission experiments of SbDV by A. glycines were unsuccessful. A reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to detect SbDV in single aphids using a pair of primers designed to amplify a 372-bp PCR fragment in the coding region of SbDV coat protein. Although A. glycines was not a vector of SbDV, the virus was detected in 100% of tested aphids by RT-PCR after a 24- to 48-h virus acquisition access feeding. The practical applications of RT-PCR in detecting persistently transmitted viruses are discussed.

Determining the duration of Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) induced susceptibility effect in soybean

“…Persistently transmitted viruses generally are acquired through extended feeding bouts and benefit from vector settling. Plant virus infection is unlikely to be the cause of the observed obviation of resistance as the only persistently transmitted soybean virus in North America is Soybean dwarf virus (Hartman 1999), which is rarely vectored by A. glycines (Harrison et al 2005;Wang et al 2006;Damsteegt et al 2011). Additional evidence that a plant virus is unlikely responsible for the obviation of resistance is the reduction in the response populations at 120 and 216 h for the virulent inducer population treatment.…”

Antixenosis to the Soybean Aphid in Soybean Lines

“…Winged soybean aphids migrate from buckthorn in early summer, and populations gradually increase in soybean over several generations before sometimes reaching economically injurious levels [3][4][5]. Soybean aphid may also vector plant pathogenic viruses of soybean [6][7][8], and these viruses may cause further yield loss.…”

Identification and characterization of new sources of resistance to Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in soybean lines

“…In many areas, large populations of A. glycines develop on soybean plants and cause yield loss (Myers et al, 2005). Aphis glycines vectors several persistently and nonpersistently transmitted viruses of soybean (Clark and Perry, 2002;Burrows et al, 2005;Wang et al, 2006), and these viruses may cause further yield loss. Recurring outbreaks of A. glycines in North America have challenged pest management practitioners to devise environmentally responsible means of protecting soybeans (Rutledge et al, 2004).…”