Impaired expressions of the beta and delta isoforms of vacuolar processing enzymes compromise the basal defenses of Arabidopsis thaliana against the phloem-feeding insect Myzus persicae

The complex interactions between aphids and their host plant are species-specific and involve multiple layers of recognition and defense. Aphid salivary proteins, which are released into the plant during phloem feeding, are a likely mediator of these interactions. In an approach to identify aphid effectors that facilitate feeding from host plants, eleven Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) salivary proteins and the GroEL protein of Buchnera aphidicola, a bacterial endosymbiont of this aphid species, were expressed transiently in Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco). Whereas two salivary proteins increased aphid reproduction, expression of three other aphid proteins and GroEL significantly decreased aphid reproduction on N. tabacum. These effects were recapitulated in stable transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Further experiments with A. thaliana expressing Mp55, a salivary protein that increased aphid reproduction, showed lower accumulation of 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate, callose and hydrogen peroxide in response to aphid feeding. Mp55-expressing plants also were more attractive for aphids in choice assays. Silencing Mp55 gene expression in M. persicae using RNA interference approaches reduced aphid reproduction on N. tabacum, A. thaliana, and N. benthamiana. Together, these results demonstrate a role for Mp55, a protein with as-yet-unknown molecular function, in the interaction of M. persicae with its host plants.

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Redox responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae

Molecular Plant Pathology ◽

10.1111/mpp.13054 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Junhuan Xu ◽

Carmen S. Padilla ◽

Jiamei Li ◽

Janithri Wickramanayake ◽

Hillary D. Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽

Myzus Persicae ◽

Green Peach Aphid

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effect of applying starch onto Arabidopsis thaliana on the feeding behaviour of Myzus persicae

Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal ◽

10.15173/sciential.v1i1.1922 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 9-15

Author(s):

Ishita Paliwal ◽

Caitlin Reintjes ◽

Pamela Schimmer ◽

Mary Anne Schoenhardt ◽

Jasmine Yang

Keyword(s):

Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽

Myzus Persicae ◽

Research Team ◽

Potato Starch ◽

Plant Health ◽

Defence Mechanism ◽

Starch Concentration ◽

High Starch ◽

Aphid Feeding ◽

Plant Arabidopsis Thaliana

It is well known that plant-animal systems interact in many complex ways, and each organism must adapt and develop mechanisms to best survive in their given conditions. While much is understood about the plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the aphid Myzus persicae, additional research must be conducted to gain more knowledge about the interactions between the two species. As a defence mechanism, in response to aphid feeding, A. thaliana converts sucrose into starch. Due to a lack of sucrose, there is less feeding by M. persicae. However, it has not yet been shown if these aphids are able to detect an increase in starch and recognize this as a deterrent to feeding. To test this, varying concentrations of potato starch were applied mechanically to A. thaliana (n=36) and the effect on aphid population size and plant health was analyzed. The research team found that M. persicae do not detect higher starch levels on A. thaliana as an indicator that nutrient availability on the plant is limited. Instead, it was found that on all but one plant, high starch concentration was a factor in plant deterioration. Thus, the research team advises against using starch as an organic pesticide. The findings of this study are significant as they will contribute to a better understanding of the organisms that threaten plant health, which will prove to be useful in the maintenance of various food crops.

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Fatty Acid Desaturases in the chloroplast and endoplasmic reticulum promote susceptibility to the Green Peach Aphid, Myzus persicae, in Arabidopsis thaliana

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi-12-20-0345-r ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jiamei Li ◽

Aravind L. Galla ◽

Carlos Augusto Avila ◽

Kaitlin Flattmann ◽

Kaleb L. Vaughn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽

Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Myzus Persicae ◽

Acyl Carrier Protein ◽

Green Peach Aphid ◽

Single Species ◽

Aphid Resistance ◽

Fatty Acid Desaturases ◽

Triple Mutant

Fatty acid desaturases (FADs) in plants influence levels of susceptibility to multiple stresses, including insect infestations. In this study, infestations of the greAtFABen peach aphid (Myzus persicae) on Arabidopsis thaliana were reduced by mutations in three desaturases: FAB2/SSI2, which encodes a chloroplastic stearoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] 9-desaturase, and AtFAD7 or AtFAD3, which encode ω-3 FADs in the chloroplast and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) respectively. These data indicate that certain FADs promote susceptibility to aphids, and that aphids are impacted by desaturases in both the chloroplast and ER. Aphid resistance in ssi2, fad3, and/or fad7 might involve altered signaling between these subcellular compartments. C18:1 levels are depleted in ssi2, whereas C18:2 accumulation is enhanced in fad3 and fad7. In contrast, fad8 has higher than normal C18:2 levels but also high C18:1 and low C18:0, and does not impact aphid numbers. Potentially, aphids may be influenced by the balance of multiple fatty acids (FAs) rather than by a single species, with C18:2 promoting aphid resistance and C18:1 promoting susceptibility. Although the fad7 mutant also accumulates higher-than-normal levels of C16:2, this FA does not contribute to aphid resistance because a triple mutant line that lacks detectable levels of C16:2 (fad2fad6fad7) retains comparable levels of aphid resistance as fad7. In addition, aphid numbers are unaffected by the fad5 mutation that inhibits C16:1 synthesis. Together, these results demonstrate that certain FADs are important susceptibility factors in plant-aphid interactions, and that aphid resistance is more strongly associated with differences in C18 abundance than C16 abundance.

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