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Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus Induces Changes in Host Plant Volatiles that Attract Vector Thrips Species

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Abstract

Maize lethal necrosis is one of the most devastating diseases of maize causing yield losses reaching up to 90% in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is caused by a combination of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any one of cereal viruses in the Potyviridae group such as sugarcane mosaic virus. MCMV has been reported to be transmitted mainly by maize thrips (Frankliniella williamsi) and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci). To better understand the role of thrips vectors in the epidemiology of the disease, we investigated behavioral responses of F. williamsi and T. tabaci, to volatiles collected from maize seedlings infected with MCMV in a four-arm olfactometer bioassay. Volatile profiles from MCMV-infected and healthy maize plants were compared by gas chromatography (GC) and GC coupled mass spectrometry analyses. In the bioassays, both sexes of F. williamsi and male T. tabaci were significantly attracted to volatiles from maize plants infected with MCMV compared to healthy plants and solvent controls. Moreover, volatile analysis revealed strong induction of (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, methyl salicylate and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyltrideca-1,3,7,11-tetraene in MCMV-infected maize seedlings. Our findings demonstrate MCMV induces changes in volatile profiles of host plants to elicit attraction of thrips vectors. The increased vector contact rates with MCMV-infected host plants could enhance virus transmission if thrips feed on the infected plants and acquire the pathogen prior to dispersal. Uncovering the mechanisms mediating interactions between vectors, host plants and pathogens provides useful insights for understanding the vector ecology and disease epidemiology, which in turn may contribute in designing integrated vector management strategies.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the following organizations and agencies: BMZ (The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) – Thrips Project, the European Union, Biovision Foundation, UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Kenyan Government. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of these donors. The authors wish to thank icipe’s Thrips and ‘Push-Pull’ IPM projects staff for their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P. O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Nelson L. Mwando, Amanuel Tamiru & Sevgan Subramanian

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, P. O. Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya

    Nelson L. Mwando & Meshack A. O. Obonyo

  3. Crop Health Unit, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Embu Research Centre, P. O. Box 27, Embu, 60100, Kenya

    Johnson O. Nyasani

  4. Biological Chemistry Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK

    John C. Caulfield

  5. School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK

    Toby J. A. Bruce

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  1. Nelson L. Mwando
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  2. Amanuel Tamiru
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  3. Johnson O. Nyasani
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Correspondence to Amanuel Tamiru.

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Mwando, N.L., Tamiru, A., Nyasani, J.O. et al. Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus Induces Changes in Host Plant Volatiles that Attract Vector Thrips Species. J Chem Ecol 44, 681–689 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-018-0973-x

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