How do vine mealybug , grapevine leafroll-associated virus and grapevine interact on a molecular level ?

Vine mealybug (VMB), Planococcus ficus, is one of the most damaging grapevine pests in the world, largely because it is a vector of grapevine leafroll-associated virus (GLRaV). Since interactions among VMB, GLRaV and grapevine are responsible for the extent of VMB damage and GLRaV spread, we investigated the relationships among the three organisms. The effect of GLRaV infection on VMB was determined using cDNAAFLP analysis and validated with RT-qPCR. It was found that VMB responds to GLRaV by activating only a few genes, and possibly also by endosymbiont mediation. The effect of VMB feeding on grapevine was investigated with microarray analysis and validated with RT-qPCR. Grapevine was found to respond to VMB feeding by mounting a weak response within a narrow window of time. These results are useful for understanding the interaction among the organisms in the VMB system, and limiting the damage caused in vineyards.