title: Endophytic fungus decreases plant virus infections in meadow ryegrass (Lolium pratense).
abstract: We studied the effects of fungal endophyte infection of meadow ryegrass (Lolium pratense=Festuca pratensis) on the frequency of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). The virus is transferred by aphids, which may be deterred by endophyte-origin alkaloids within the plant. In our experiment, we released viruliferous aphid vectors on endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plants in a common garden. The number of aphids and the percentage of BYDV infections were lower in endophyte-infected plants compared to endophyte-free plants, indicating that endophyte infection may protect meadow ryegrass from BYDV infections.
authors.affiliation: Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland. patule@utu.fi
authors.forename: Päivi T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.forename: Marjo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helander
authors.forename: Shahid A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lehto
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saikkonen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D018533:Biomass; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000502:physiology*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008129:Lolium / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology*; D017793:Luteovirus / Q000276:immunology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral