Effective Population Size of a Plant RNA Virus Depends on Dose
Author Information
Author(s): Mark P. Zwart, José-Antonio Daròs, Santiago F. Elena
Primary Institution: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-UPV, València, Spain
Hypothesis
The independent action hypothesis can characterize the infection process of a mono-partite RNA plant virus, and the effective population size will be dose-dependent.
Conclusion
The study found that the effective population size of the Tobacco etch virus is dose-dependent, meaning that the number of virions infecting a plant influences the genetic diversity and evolution of the virus.
Supporting Evidence
- The number of primary infection foci increased linearly with dose.
- At high doses, mixed-genotype infections were found at low frequencies.
- The probability of systemic infection was nearly 1 for the inoculated genotype.
Takeaway
This study shows that the number of virus particles that infect a plant affects how the virus evolves, and even a small number of particles can lead to infection.
Methodology
The researchers inoculated Nicotiana tabacum and Capsicum annuum plants with different doses of Tobacco etch virus variants and measured the number of primary infection foci.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the selection of plant species and the specific viral strains used.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on two plant species and may not generalize to all plant viruses.
Participant Demographics
Plants used were Nicotiana tabacum and Capsicum annuum.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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