CAREER: Specialization vs. Spread in Host Range Limitations of Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.

Viruses differ dramatically in the number of hosts they can infect, yet the biological reasons why some remain restricted while others spread broadly are still poorly understood. This project addresses that question by comparing two closely related agricultural viruses important to the southeastern United States: Tomato spotted wilt virus, which infects a wide range of plant species and insect vectors, and Soybean vein necrosis virus, which is much more limited in the hosts it can use. By identifying the traits that enable one virus to remain specialized while another spreads across many hosts, the project will advance fundamental knowledge needed to better understand and anticipate emerging plant disease threats. This work serves the national interest by promoting the progress of science in virus evolution and host-pathogen interactions, while also supporting agricultural resilience, food security, and the prosperity and welfare of communities that depend on healthy crop systems. Broader impacts will be advanced through research training for students, development of an interactive educational game that helps learners and the public explore viral evolution, host range, and disease spread, and classroom activities that build critical engagement with generative AI and other emerging digital tools in scientific learning and communication. The project will compare the two viruses across shared plant and insect hosts to determine how genome variability, host-protein interactions, and virus-induced changes in host regulatory pathways shape viral host range. First, viral isolates from plants and insect vectors will be sequenced to test whether the broader host-range virus shows greater genome plasticity across hosts. Second, protein interaction assays in plant and insect systems will identify host factors used by each virus and determine whether broader host range is associated with less specialized host dependence. Third, transcriptomic analyses will compare host responses to infection and identify shared and distinct strategies of host manipulation, including effects on defense and regulatory pathways. Together, these studies will define molecular features that enable or constrain viral adaptability and provide a framework for understanding and predicting viral emergence in complex multi-host systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2541688 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT,01003031DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Kathleen Martin | Institution: Auburn University, AUBURN, AL | Award Amount: $1,552,515 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2541688 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2541688.html