Viruses can be transmitted between hosts via different modes, that can differently shape the population of transmitted viruses and thus have important implications for their biology and evolution. Potato virus Y, a damaging potato pathogen, can be transmitted between potato plants by aphid feeding, by wounding, or via tubers (mother to daughter plants). In this study, we have investigated how these three transmission modes directly affect the structure of the virus populations within the potato plants. We discovered that the mode of virus transmission significantly affected the population of the virus transmitted to the new plant. For example, virus populations transmitted by aphids were the least diverse while the ones transmitted vertically through tubers were the most diverse. To fully understand the effect of transmission modes on virus populations we needed to consider the events following the transmission, such as viral movement within a plant. Understanding the role that transmission modes play on the diversity and evolution of virus populations helps us to elucidate the mechanisms shaping the diversity of the virus in the field, and provides valuable information for future plant virus epidemiological studies that could promote the development of novel management strategies. The paper was published in one of the top journals in for the virology field (Plos Pathogens, IF= 6.463). The project leader is a shared first and corresponding author in a group composed of researchers from some of the highest-ranking research institutions from USA, China, Spain and Slovenia. This demonstrates how the reported postdoctoral project helped to build the international recognition of the project leader.
COBISS.SI-ID: 21858051