Effect of Potato virus Y (PVY) and aphid herbivory on volatile-related gene expression across time

Plant virus infection is known to influence plant-insect interactions through changes in host plant traits, including changes in volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles. VOCs are used by insect vectors to find suitable host plants and some VOCs are only produced after herbivore feeding. As herbivore-induced VOCs can function in attracting natural enemies, virus infection may also influence multi-trophic interactions through changes in VOCs.  Potato, aphids, and potato virus Y (PVY) represent an agriculturally important model system that can be used to study the effects of vector-borne pathogens on multi-trophic interactions and the molecular mechanisms mediating these interactions. Here, we investigate the impact of PVY infection on the expression of volatile-related gene transcripts across time and examine how aphid feeding modifies virus-mediated effects on VOC gene transcripts. Understanding the mechanisms that mediate plant-vector-virus interactions could improve current management strategies to reduce vector populations and virus spread within agricultural systems and offer new avenues for relevant agricultural pest control to provide plant protection from biotic stressors.