Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) issued from eggs bombarded with infectious DNA clones of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Israel (TYLCV) are able to infect tomato plants

We have reported previously that Tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Israel (TYLCV) penetrates the reproductive system of its vector, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci biotype B, and may be transmitted to progeny [9]. In order to mimic this phenomenon and to understand how TYLCV accompanies the development of the insect, we have bombarded B. tabaci eggs with an infectious DNA clone of TYLCV. After a linear full-length genomic copy of TYLCV DNA was delivered to eggs, the DpnI-sensitive DNA became circular and DpnI resistant. When a dimeric copy of TYLCV DNA was delivered to eggs, the viral DNA was detected in all the whitefly developmental stages. Adult insects that developed from the treated eggs were able to infect tomato test plants with variable frequency. Viral DNA was detected in the progeny of whiteflies that developed from eggs bombarded with TYLCV. Similarly, when insect eggs were bombarded with a dimeric copy of an infectious clone of the genome of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Sardinia, Italy (TYLCSV), adults that eclosed from the treated eggs were able to infect tomato test plants.