The ecological effects of plant-virus-vector interactions on invasion of alien plant viral vectors have been rarely investigated. We examined the transmission of Tomato yellow leaf cur/China virus (TYLCCNV) by the i...The ecological effects of plant-virus-vector interactions on invasion of alien plant viral vectors have been rarely investigated. We examined the transmission of Tomato yellow leaf cur/China virus (TYLCCNV) by the invasive Q biotype and the indigenous ZHJ2 biotype of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a plant viral vector, as well as the influence of TYLCCNV-infection of plants on the performance of the two whitefly biotypes. Both whitefly biotypes were able to acquire viruses from infected plants and retained them in their bodies, but were unable to transmit them to either tobacco or tomato plants. However, when the Q biotype fed on tobacco plants infected with TYLCCNV, its fecundity and longevity were increased by 7- and 1-fold, respectively, compared to those of the Q biotype fed on uninfected tobacco plants. When the ZHJ2 biotype fed on virus-infected plants, its fecundity and longevity were increased by only 2- and 0.5-fold, respectively. These data show that the Q biotype acquired higher beneficial effects from TYLCCNV-infection of tobacco plants than the ZHJ2 biotype. Thus, the Q biotype whitefly may have advantages in its invasion and displacement of the indigenous ZHJ2 biotype.展开更多
The human pathogen, group A rotavirus, is the most prevalent cause of acute infantile and pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide, especially in developing countries. There is an urgent demand for safer, more effective an...The human pathogen, group A rotavirus, is the most prevalent cause of acute infantile and pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide, especially in developing countries. There is an urgent demand for safer, more effective and cheaper vaccines against rotavirus infection. Plant-derived antigens may provide an exclusive way to produce economical subunit vaccines. Virus-like particles, constituting viral capsid proteins without viral nucleic acids, are considered a far safer candidate compared with live attenuated viral vaccines. In this study, the rotavirus capsid proteins VP2, VP6 and VP7 were co-expressed in transgenic tobacco plants, and their expression levels, formation of rotavirus-like particles (RV VLPs) and immunogenicity were extensively studied. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the expression level of vp6 was the highest while vp7 was expressed at the lowest levels. The RV VLPs were purified from transgenic tobacco plants and analyzed by electron microscopy and Western blot. Results indicated that the plant-derived VP2, VP6 and VP7 proteins self-assembled into 2/6 or 2/6/7 RV VLPs with a diameter of 60-80 nm. When orally delivered into mice with cholera toxin as an adjuvant, the total soluble protein extracted from transgenic tobacco plants induced rotavirus-specific antibodies comparable with those of attenuated rotavirus vaccines, while VP 2/6/7 induced higher serum IgG and fecal IgA titers compared with VP 2/6.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30730061)the National Basic Research Program (973) of China (No.2009CB119203)the Zhejiang Provincial Key Agricultural Project (No.2007C12045),China
文摘The ecological effects of plant-virus-vector interactions on invasion of alien plant viral vectors have been rarely investigated. We examined the transmission of Tomato yellow leaf cur/China virus (TYLCCNV) by the invasive Q biotype and the indigenous ZHJ2 biotype of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a plant viral vector, as well as the influence of TYLCCNV-infection of plants on the performance of the two whitefly biotypes. Both whitefly biotypes were able to acquire viruses from infected plants and retained them in their bodies, but were unable to transmit them to either tobacco or tomato plants. However, when the Q biotype fed on tobacco plants infected with TYLCCNV, its fecundity and longevity were increased by 7- and 1-fold, respectively, compared to those of the Q biotype fed on uninfected tobacco plants. When the ZHJ2 biotype fed on virus-infected plants, its fecundity and longevity were increased by only 2- and 0.5-fold, respectively. These data show that the Q biotype acquired higher beneficial effects from TYLCCNV-infection of tobacco plants than the ZHJ2 biotype. Thus, the Q biotype whitefly may have advantages in its invasion and displacement of the indigenous ZHJ2 biotype.
基金supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2007AA100505)
文摘The human pathogen, group A rotavirus, is the most prevalent cause of acute infantile and pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide, especially in developing countries. There is an urgent demand for safer, more effective and cheaper vaccines against rotavirus infection. Plant-derived antigens may provide an exclusive way to produce economical subunit vaccines. Virus-like particles, constituting viral capsid proteins without viral nucleic acids, are considered a far safer candidate compared with live attenuated viral vaccines. In this study, the rotavirus capsid proteins VP2, VP6 and VP7 were co-expressed in transgenic tobacco plants, and their expression levels, formation of rotavirus-like particles (RV VLPs) and immunogenicity were extensively studied. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the expression level of vp6 was the highest while vp7 was expressed at the lowest levels. The RV VLPs were purified from transgenic tobacco plants and analyzed by electron microscopy and Western blot. Results indicated that the plant-derived VP2, VP6 and VP7 proteins self-assembled into 2/6 or 2/6/7 RV VLPs with a diameter of 60-80 nm. When orally delivered into mice with cholera toxin as an adjuvant, the total soluble protein extracted from transgenic tobacco plants induced rotavirus-specific antibodies comparable with those of attenuated rotavirus vaccines, while VP 2/6/7 induced higher serum IgG and fecal IgA titers compared with VP 2/6.