Differential expression of gut protein genes and population density of Arsenophonus contributes to sex-biased transmission of Bemisia tabaci vectored Cotton leaf curl virus

• Published in: PloS one 2021-11, Vol.16 (11), p.e0259374-e0259374
• Main Authors: Singh, Ikbalpreet, Kaur, Ramandeep, Kumar, Ashok, Singh, Satnam, Sharma, Abhishek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aleyrodidae; Animals; Antibiotics; Arsenophonus; Begomovirus - growth & development; Begomovirus - physiology; Bemisia tabaci; Biology and Life Sciences; Cotton; Crop diseases; Cyclophilins - antagonists & inhibitors; Cyclophilins - genetics; Cyclophilins - metabolism; Digestive organs; Digestive System - metabolism; Distribution; Female; Females; Gammaproteobacteria - growth & development; Gammaproteobacteria - isolation & purification; Gammaproteobacteria - physiology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Silencing; Genes; Genetic aspects; Haplotypes; Hemiptera - virology; HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Hsp40 protein; Hsp70 protein; Insect Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Insect Vectors - virology; Leaf-curl; Male; Males; Medicine and Health Sciences; Midgut; Physiological aspects; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - virology; Plant viruses; Plant-pathogen relationships; Population density; Proteins; Proteobacteria; RNA, Double-Stranded - metabolism; Sex; Sex Factors; Symbiosis; Transmission efficiency; Viral Load; Virus diseases of plants; Virus-vector relationships; Viruses
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259374

Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an important pest of cotton causing direct damage as sap feeder and vector of Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV). Previous few studies suggest that female whiteflies are more efficient vector of begomovirusthan males, however the sex-biased transmission efficiency is still not clearly understood. Present studies with B. tabaci AsiaII-1 haplotype showed higher virus transmission efficiency of females compared to males. This variable begomovirus transmission efficiency has been related to previously identifiedkey factors associated with B. tabaci. The higher density of endosymbiont Arsenophonus and variable expression of some midgut proteins genes i.e. Cyclophilin, Knottin, Hsp40, Hsp70 may be possibly imparting higher vector competency to the females compared to males. The present studies suggest low abundance of Arsenophonus spp. as well as lower expressionof Cyclophilin genein males as compared to females. This is further supplemented by overexpression of Knottin, Hsp40, and Hsp70 genes in males compared to females and thus collectively all these factors might be playing a key role in low virus transmission efficiency of males. The relative density of Arsenophonus spp. and expression of midgut proteins genes in male and female whitefly first time enriches our understanding about sex-biased transmission efficiency of begomovirus.