Effect of aphid biology and morphology on plant virus transmission

Aphids severely affect crop production by transmitting many plant viruses. Viruses are obligate intracellular pathogens that mostly depend on vectors for their transmission and survival. A majority of economically important plant viruses are transmitted by aphids. They transmit viruses either persistently (circulative or non-circulative) or non-persistently. Plant virus transmission by insects is a process that has evolved over time and is strongly influenced by insect morphological features and biology. Over the past century, a large body of research has provided detailed knowledge of the molecular processes underlying virus-vector interactions. In this review, we discuss how aphid biology and morphology can affect plant virus transmission. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.