VIEW ARTICLE

Vector Relations

Regurgitant as a Determinant of Specificity in the Transmission of Plant Viruses by Beetles. R. C. Gergerich, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701; H. A. Scott(2), and J. P. Fulton(3). (2)(3)Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701. Phytopathology 73:936-938. Accepted for publication 18 January 1983. Copyright 1983 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-73-936.

Regurgitant from leaf-feeding beetles (Cerotoma trifurcata, Epilachna varivestis, and Diabrotica undecimpunctata) contains a factor(s) that prevents infection by most viruses, but has no effect on beetle-transmissible viruses. When beetle feeding was simulated by gross wounding of leaf tissue and purified virus was applied during wounding, high levels of transmission of both beetle-transmissible and non-beetle-transmissible viruses were achieved. When inoculum was mixed with beetle regurgitant and applied using the gross wounding technique, however, there was a high level of transmission of beetle-transmissible viruses and a very low level of transmission of non-beetle-transmissible viruses. The regurgitant factor(s), which prevents infection by non-beetle-transmissible viruses, is heat labile, is stable to freezing, and has a molecular weight >50,000 daltons. The regurgitant factor(s) does not irreversibly inactivate non-beetle-transmissible viruses.