Brevipalpus yothersi (Acari: Tenuipalpidae): interaction of cytoplasmic and nuclear viruses

• Grant number: 17/26086-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Valdenice Moreira Novelli
• Grantee: Leticia Maria Ferreira
• Host Institution: Instituto Agronômico (IAC). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently, Brevipalpus yothersi is the most abundant mite species in Brazilian orchards and is associated with the transmission of several phytoviruses, known as VTB (virus transmitted by Brevipalpus). Among these are Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C), the main causal agent of citrus leprosis, which causes significant losses to orange producers; the Passion fruit green spot virus (PFGSV), the causative agent of the green passion fruit, which can lead to premature plant death; and the Coffee ringspot virus (CoRSV), an agent of the coffee leaf spot, which has caused production damages, mainly in the quality of the beverage. As these cultures are of great economic and social importance for Brazil and are often located in close regions, the purpose of this work is to investigate whether the vector mite species B. yothersi is capable of simultaneously acquiring and inoculating the leprosy virus (CiLV-C) with PFGSV, and CiLV-C with CoRSV. The proposal aims to obtain results that complement the virus-vector interaction studies.