Hitching a Ride: Examining the Ability of a Specialist Baculovirus to Translocate through Its Insect Host’s Food Plant
Plant vascular systems can translocate the entomopathogen <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> from the soil into plant tissues. However, whether other soil dwelling entomopathogens utilize plant vascular tissue for movement has not yet been fully explored. We used <i>Spodoptera frugiperd...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Language: | EN |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/d0b986292e5d40cb8736c4da68bce6fb |
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| Summary: | Plant vascular systems can translocate the entomopathogen <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> from the soil into plant tissues. However, whether other soil dwelling entomopathogens utilize plant vascular tissue for movement has not yet been fully explored. We used <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV) to evaluate whether baculoviruses, a common entomopathogen and bioinsecticide, can be transported through the plant vascular pathways of <i>Zea mays</i>. We found that our treatments did not allow a sufficient virus translocation into the plant to induce a lethal infection in insects, which was confirmed by a molecular analysis. While other entomopathogens translocate, baculoviruses may not be one of them. |
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