PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi Reddit, we’re Niels and Nik, and we propose
that cucumber mosaic virus repays its hosts luring pollinators to
infected plants and increasing seed production and pollen export – Ask
Us Anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit, My name is Simon “Niels” Groen and I am post-doctoral
fellow at New York University. My research focuses on
plant-microbe-insect interactions. I am joined by Nik Cunniffe, a
University Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences at the
University of Cambridge and co-author on the PLOS Pathogens article.
Nik’s research focuses on developing mathematical models of how plant
diseases spread, evolve and can be controlled. We recently published a
paper titled Virus Infection of Plants Alters Pollinator Preference: A
Payback for Susceptible Hosts? in PLOS Pathogens. Cucumber mosaic virus,
an important pathogen of tomato, causes plants to emit volatile
chemicals that attract bumblebees - bumblebees are important tomato
pollinators, but do not transmit this virus. We propose that under
natural conditions, helping host reproduction by encouraging bee
visitation might represent a ‘payback’ by the virus to susceptible
hosts. We will be answering your questions at 1pm ET – Ask Us Anything!
Don’t forget to follow Niels and Nik on Twitter @simoncgroen and
@nikcunniffe.