One Is Enough: In Vivo Effective Population Size Is Dose-Dependent for a Plant RNA Virus

摘要: Effective population size (Ne) determines the strength of genetic drift and frequency co-infection by multiple genotypes, making it a key factor in viral evolution. Experimental estimates Ne for different plant viruses have, however, rendered diverging results. The independent action hypothesis (IAH) states that each virion has probability infection, virions act one another during infection process. A corollary IAH is must be dose dependent. test virus not been reported yet. Here we perform an model using RNA virus, Tobacco etch (TEV) variants carrying GFP or mCherry fluorescent markers, Nicotiana tabacum Capsicum annuum plants. number primary foci increased linearly with dose, was similar to Poisson distribution. At high doses, containing both genotypes were found at low (<2%). genotype infected inoculated leaf would systemically infect near 1, although few rare cases could trapped being physically surrounded other genotype. mixed-genotype predicted from mean independent-action model. Independent appears hold TEV, therefore dose-dependent this virus. causing systemic can very small, approaches 1 doses. Dose-dependency TEV suggests comparison are meaningful unless effects taken into consideration.