Modelling the competition between viruses in a complex plant-pathogen system

• Grant number: 10/10641-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: January 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Principal Investigator: Francisco Antonio Bezerra Coutinho
• Grantee: Francisco Antonio Bezerra Coutinho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a mathematical model that describes the competition betweentwo plant virus strains (MAV and PAV) for both the host plant (oats) and their aphid vectors. Wefound that although PAV is transmitted by two aphids and MAV by only one, this fact, by itself,does not explain the complete replacement of MAV by PAV in New York State during the periodfrom 1961 through 1976; an interpretation that is in agreement with Power's theories (12). Also,although MAV wins the competition within aphids, we assumed that in 1961, PAV mutated intoa new variant such that this new variant was able to overcome MAV within the plants during alatent period. As shown below, this is sufficient to explain the swap of strains, that is, the dominant MAV was replaced by PAV, also in agreement with Power's expectations. (AU)