Acquisition, Retention and Transmission of Viruses by Nematodes

Abstract

Nematode-transmitted viruses associated with disease outbreaks in the field fall into two groups called nepoviruses, with isometric particles about 30 nm in diameter and transmitted by species of Xiphinema and Longidorus, and tobraviruses, which have straight tubular particles and are transmitted by Trichodorus and Paratrichodorus species (see Martelli in these proceedings). At present 5 Xiphinema have been implicated in the transmission of 6 nepoviruses and 4 Longidorus species in the transmission of 3 nepoviruses (Table 1); 12 trichodorids have been shown to transmit the two known tobraviruses, tobacco rattle and pea early browning viruses, and it seems likely that many other species of Trichodorus or Paratrichodorus could transmit either or both of these viruses. Brome mosaic, carnation ringspot and prunus necrotic ringspot viruses have isometric particles and have been transmitted either by Longidorus macrosoma or Xiphinema diversicaudatum in laboratory experiments but it is not known whether these species are involved as vectors in nature.