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Elevated CO2 and virus infection impacts wheat and aphid metabolism

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Abstract

Introduction

The aphid Rhopalosiphum padi L. is a vector of Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) in wheat and other economically important cereal crops. Increased atmospheric CO2 has been shown to alter plant growth and metabolism, enhancing BYDV disease in wheat. However, the biochemical influences on aphid metabolism are not known.

Objectives

This work aims to determine whether altered host-plant quality, influenced by virus infection and elevated CO2, impacts aphid weight and metabolism.

Methods

Untargeted 1H NMR metabolomics coupled with multivariate statistics were employed to profile the metabolism of R. padi reared on virus-infected and non-infected (sham-inoculated) wheat grown under ambient CO2 (aCO2, 400 µmol mol−1) and future, predicted elevated CO2 (eCO2, 650 µmol mol−1) concentrations. Un-colonised wheat was also profiled to observe changes to host-plant quality (i.e., amino acids and sugars).

Results

The direct impacts of virus or eCO2 were compared. Virus presence increased aphid weight under aCO2 but decreased weight under eCO2; whilst eCO2 increased non-viruliferous (sham) aphid weight but decreased viruliferous aphid weight. Discriminatory metabolites due to eCO2 were succinate and sucrose (in sham wheat), glucose, choline and betaine (in infected wheat), and threonine, lactate, alanine, GABA, glutamine, glutamate and asparagine (in aphids), irrespective of virus presence. Discriminatory metabolites due to virus presence were alanine, GABA, succinate and betaine (in wheat) and threonine and lactate (in aphids), irrespective of CO2 treatment.

Conclusion

This study confirms that virus and eCO2 alter host-plant quality, and these differences are reflected by aphid weight and metabolism.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Piotr Trębicki (DEDJTR, Horsham) for supplying wheat seeds, virus strain and aphid colonies, and Dr Myrna Deseo (DEDJTR, Bundoora) for assistance with 1H NMR protocol and metabolite identification. We would also like to thank Dr Rebecca Vandegeer for assisting with the maintenance of plants and aphid colonies.

Funding

This work was supported by La Trobe University and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR), Victoria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture Research Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia

    Simone Vassiliadis & Simone J. Rochfort

  2. School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia

    Simone Vassiliadis & Simone J. Rochfort

  3. Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia

    Kim M. Plummer

  4. Sugar Research Australia, Meringa, QLD, 4865, Australia

    Kevin S. Powell

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  1. Simone Vassiliadis
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SV designed the work, performed the experiments, analysed the data and drafted the manuscript. KP and KP supervised the study and edited the manuscript. SR helped provide financial support, supervised the study, assisted in data analysis and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Simone Vassiliadis.

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S. Vassiliadis, K. Plummer, K. Powell and S. Rochfort have no conflict of interest to declare.

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Vassiliadis, S., Plummer, K.M., Powell, K.S. et al. Elevated CO2 and virus infection impacts wheat and aphid metabolism. Metabolomics 14, 133 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-018-1425-x

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