Passionfruit severe leaf distortion virus: Expanded host range, response of Passiflora spp. plants to infection and transmission by Bemisia tabaci MEAM1

Passionfruit severe leaf distortion virus (PSLDV) is a begomovirus transmitted by Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), associated with severe disease in passion flowers. This study aimed to evaluate the reaction of plants of different species of Passiflora to infection with PSLDV, expand the known host range of the virus and determine the minimum virus acquisition and inoculation access periods and the time of virus retention by B. tabaci MEAM1. Plants of Passiflora cincinnata, P. mucronata and P. malacophylla were not infected with PSLDV through transmission with B. tabaci MEAM1. When healthy plants of these species were fork grafted onto PSLDV-infected plants of P. edulis, only plants of P. malacophylla remained uninfected and the virus was not detected by PCR, suggesting immunity to this begomovirus. Plants of Datura stramonium, Nicotiana benthamiana, N. clevelandii, N. tabacum 'Xanthi', Solanum lycopersicum (tomato cv. Compack) and several varieties of Manihot esculenta (cassava cvs IAC 118-96, IAC 6-01, Paranavai, IAC 576, IAC 90 and IAC 14) were susceptible to infection with PSLDV through transmission with B. tabaci MEAM1. Adults of B. tabaci MEAM1 acquired PSLDV after 1 h of feeding on PSLDV-infected plants of D. stramonium. They transmitted the virus to healthy plants after feeding on these plants for 1 h, although with low transmission rates. The retention time of PSLDV in the vector was 14 days.