{"title":"Arbovirus suppression of a lectin protein-mediated broad-spectrum resistance enhances herbivorous vector performance and viral transmission","authors":"Zihang Yang, Wei Wu, Zhongtian Xu, Yanjun Li, Hehong Zhang, Lulu Li, Jianping Chen, Bingjian Sun, Zongtao Sun","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-62233-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Arboviruses often employ various strategies to manipulate the behavior of herbivorous vectors and host plants, thereby enhancing their transmission and infection. In this study, we identify a plant lectin protein, OsChtBL1, which possesses chitin-binding activity and specifically accumulates on the stylets of insect vectors. This binding creates a feeding barrier that reduces the vectors’ efficiency in acquiring and transmitting the virus. However, the rice stripe virus, a devastating pathogen in rice, counteracts this defense by utilizing a viral protein to recruit an E3 ubiquitin ligase, leading to the degradation of OsChtBL1. This degradation facilitates vector feeding and enhances viral transmission. Our findings provide insights into how arbovirus-infected host plants improve the performance of herbivorous vectors and offer deeper understanding of the complex interactions among arboviruses, vectors, and host plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":19066,"journal":{"name":"Nature Communications","volume":"278 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nature Communications","FirstCategoryId":"103","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62233-8","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Arboviruses often employ various strategies to manipulate the behavior of herbivorous vectors and host plants, thereby enhancing their transmission and infection. In this study, we identify a plant lectin protein, OsChtBL1, which possesses chitin-binding activity and specifically accumulates on the stylets of insect vectors. This binding creates a feeding barrier that reduces the vectors’ efficiency in acquiring and transmitting the virus. However, the rice stripe virus, a devastating pathogen in rice, counteracts this defense by utilizing a viral protein to recruit an E3 ubiquitin ligase, leading to the degradation of OsChtBL1. This degradation facilitates vector feeding and enhances viral transmission. Our findings provide insights into how arbovirus-infected host plants improve the performance of herbivorous vectors and offer deeper understanding of the complex interactions among arboviruses, vectors, and host plants.
期刊介绍:
Nature Communications, an open-access journal, publishes high-quality research spanning all areas of the natural sciences. Papers featured in the journal showcase significant advances relevant to specialists in each respective field. With a 2-year impact factor of 16.6 (2022) and a median time of 8 days from submission to the first editorial decision, Nature Communications is committed to rapid dissemination of research findings. As a multidisciplinary journal, it welcomes contributions from biological, health, physical, chemical, Earth, social, mathematical, applied, and engineering sciences, aiming to highlight important breakthroughs within each domain.