Studies on the interaction between tomato spotted wilt tospovirus and thrips

Abstract

Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV), a type species of the genus Orthotospovirus, which belongs to the family Tospoviridae, causes necrotic yellow and necrosis diseases of vegetables including tomatoes and green peppers, and to flowers such as chrysanthemum and dahlia, and causes economic damage, yield loss, and loss of quality. TSWV has a spherical enveloped virion that contains three species of singlestrand RNA segments (L, M, and S). The genome encodes fives genes; a putative cell-to-cell movement protein (NSm), a non-structural protein (NSs), a nucleocapsid protein (N), an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and a precursor of surface glycoproteins (GN/GC). TSWV is transmitted in a circulative and propagative manner by thrips such as western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci). TSWV has been controlled using the virus resistance genes of the cultivars and by controlling the vector using insecticides. However, the emergence of TSWV that can no longer be controlled using the resistance gene of the cultivars and the development of resistance to insecticides by thrips is a serious problem worldwide. Hence, the interactions among TSWV, western flower thrips, and Arabisopsis thaliana were analysed to develop a novel way to control TSWV on the basis of the interaction mechanism.