Titer Variation of Citrus Tristeza Virus in Aphids at Different Acquisition Access Periods and Its Association with Transmission Efficiency.

Tristeza, caused by citrus tristeza virus (CTV; Closterovirus, Closteroviridae), is of significant economic importance. Tristeza epidemics have caused severe declines in productivity, and even death, of millions of citrus trees on sour orange rootstock in many regions all over the world. In the field, CTV is most efficiently vectored by the brown citrus aphid (Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy)) in a semipersistent manner. The transmission efficiency of the vector is influenced by its acquisition access period (AAP) for CTV. A real-time RT-PCR assay using SYBR Green fluorescent dye was used to estimate the CTV titers in groups of 15 aphids under AAPs after 0.5 to 48 h for three CTV isolates (CT11A, CT16-2, and CTLJ). Similar trends for CTV titer in viruliferous aphids were displayed for the three isolates. The maximum CTV titer was at AAP 6 h for isolates CT11A and CT16-2, and at 4 h for isolate CTLJ. During the AAPs from 0.5 to 6 h, the mean CTV titer of CT16-2 increased from 7.8 × 104 to 1.71 × 107 copies per 15 aphids, and was correlated with an increase in transmission rate from 20 to 90.9%. This suggests that the transmission efficiency is positively correlated with viral titer in the insect from 0.5 h until 6 h AAPs. While a downward trend in CTV titer was observed after a 6-h AAP, the transmission rate remained higher than 90% up to 48 h. These results indicate that factors other than the virus titer in the vector contribute to successful transmission under long acquisition conditions. This is the first detailed quantitative analysis of CTV in its main vector species following different AAPs and its association with transmission efficiency, and should enhance our understanding of T. citricida-CTV interactions.

A Simulation Study of Carrier Capture Ability of the Last InGaN Quantum Well with Different Indium Content for Yellow-Light-Emitting InGaN/GaN Multiple Quantum Wells.

Currently, GaN-based blue- and green-light-emitting devices have achieved successful applications in practice, while the luminescence efficiency of devices with longer wavelengths (such as yellow light) is still very low. Therefore, in this paper, the electroluminescence characterization of yellow-light-emitting InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with different In content in the last InGaN quantum well, which is next to the p-type GaN electrode layer, are investigated numerically to reveal a possible physical mechanism by which the different distribution of In content in the active region impacts the carrier capture and the light emission process in yellow InGaN/GaN MQWs. The simulation results show that at low injection currents, the luminescence efficiency of high-In-content yellow MQWs is enhanced, which can be ascribed to the enhanced radiative recombination process induced by the increased carrier concentration in the last InGaN quantum wells with promoted carrier capture ability. However, in the case of high injection condition, the luminescence efficiency of yellow MQWs deteriorates with increasing In content, i.e., the droop effect becomes remarkable. This can be ascribed to both significantly enhanced Auger recombination and electron leakage in the last InGaN quantum well, induced also by the promoted capture ability of charge carriers.