AUTHOR=Cui Xiaoqing , Liu Yangyang , Zhang Jingtian , Hu Panpan , Zheng Zheng , Deng Xiaoling , Xu Meirong 

TITLE=Variation of endosymbiont and citrus tristeza virus (CTV) titers in the Huanglongbing insect vector, Diaphorina citri, on CTV-infected plants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1236731

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1236731

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>“<italic>Candidatus</italic> Liberibacter asiaticus” (CLas) is a notorious agent that causes Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), which is transmitted by <italic>Diaphorina citri</italic> (<italic>D. citri</italic>). We recently found that the acquisition and transmission of CLas by <italic>D. citri</italic> was facilitated by <italic>Citrus tristeza virus</italic> (CTV), a widely distributed virus in the field. In this study, we further studied whether different CTV strains manipulate the host preference of <italic>D. citri</italic>, and whether endosymbionts variation is related to CTV strains in <italic>D. citri</italic>. The results showed that the non-viruliferous <italic>D. citri</italic> preferred to select the shoots infected with CTV, without strain differences was observed in the selection. However, the viruliferous <italic>D. citri</italic> prefered to select the mixed strain that is similar to the field’s. Furthermore, <italic>D. citri</italic> effectively acquired the CTV within 2–12 h depending on the strains of the virus. The persistence period of CTV in <italic>D. citri</italic> was longer than 24 days, without reduction of the CTV titers being observed. These results provide a foundation for understanding the transmission mode of <italic>D. citri</italic> on CTV. During the process of CTV acquisition and persistence, the titers of main endosymbionts in <italic>D. citri</italic> showed similar variation trend, but their relative titers were different at different time points. The titers of the “<italic>Candidatus</italic> Profftella armatura” and CTV tended to be positively correlated, and the titers of <italic>Wolbachia</italic> and “<italic>Candidatus</italic> Carsonella ruddii” were mostly negatively related with titers of CT31. These results showed the relationship among <italic>D. citri</italic>, endosymbionts, and CTV and provided useful information for further research on the interactions between <italic>D. citri</italic> and CLas, which may benefit the development of approaches for the prevention of CLas transmission and control of citrus HLB.</p>