Egg Laying of Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) on Arabidopsis thaliana Affects Subsequent Performance of the Larvae

Plants can respond to eggs laid by herbivorous insects on their leaves by preparing (priming) their defense against the hatching larvae. Egg-mediated priming of defense is known for several plant species, including Brassicaceae. However, it is unknown yet for how long the eggs need to remain on a plant until a primed defense state is reached, which is ecologically manifested by reduced performance of the hatching larvae. To address this question, we used Arabidopsis thaliana, which carried eggs of the butterfly Pieris brassicae for 1–6 days prior to exposure to larval feeding. Our results show that larvae gained less biomass the longer the eggs had previously been on the plant. The strongest priming effect was obtained when eggs had been on the plant for 5 or 6 days, i.e., for (almost) the entire development time of the Pieris embryo inside the egg until larval hatching. Transcript levels of priming-responsive genes, levels of jasmonic acid-isoleucine (JA-Ile), and of the egg-inducible phytoalexin camalexin increased with the egg exposure time. Larval performance studies on mutant plants revealed that camalexin is dispensable for anti-herbivore defense against P. brassicae larvae, whereas JA-Ile – in concert with egg-induced salicylic acid (SA) – seems to be important for signaling egg-mediated primed defense. Thus, A. thaliana adjusts the kinetics of its egg-primed response to the time point of larval hatching. Hence, the plant is optimally prepared just in time prior to larval hatching.

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Biology of Pieris Brassicae (Linn.) on Different Brassica Species in the Plains of Punjab

Journal of Plant Protection Research ◽

10.2478/jppr-2013-0008 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 53-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Gurminder Singh Chahil ◽

Jagdev Singh Kular

Keyword(s):

Incubation Period ◽

Brassica Species ◽

Pieris Brassicae ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Economic Damage ◽

Adult Longevity ◽

Greenhouse Study ◽

Resistant Species ◽

Brassica Spp ◽

Hatching Percentage

Abstract Biology of Pieris brassicae reared on Brassica napus, B. juncea, B. rapa, and B. carinata was studied. Adult butterflies, collected in November from the plains of Punjab, India, were sexed, paired, and released onto the four Brassica spp. in a greenhouse. In a multigeneration study (Parental, F1, and F2), the effect of the four Brassica spp. on the egg laying, incubation period and hatching percentage was assessed in a greenhouse study. Hatched larvae were collected, reared on fresh leaves of respective Brassica spp, in laboratory conditions. Data collected on larval stadia, pre-pupal and pupal durations, adult longevity, and sex ratio were assessed to understand the effects of these four species. Of the four species, B. carinata, with a shorter incubation period, higher hatching percentage, and shorter developmental periods was most susceptible. In this study, B. rapa was the most resistant species and may be recommended for further breeding programs in order to reduce the economic damage caused by P. brassicae.

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Biochemical characterization a digestive trypsin in the midgut of large cabbage white butterfly, Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485317001067 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 108 (4) ◽

pp. 501-509

Author(s):

A. Sharifloo ◽

A. Zibaee ◽

J. Jalali Sendi ◽

K. Talebi Jahroumi

Keyword(s):

Biochemical Characterization ◽

Specific Activity ◽

Pieris Brassicae ◽

Larval Midgut ◽

Posterior Midgut ◽

Diethylaminoethyl Cellulose ◽

Cabbage White Butterfly ◽

Fast Flow

AbstractA comprehensive study on digestive trypsin was undertaken in the larval midgut of Pieris brassicae L. Results of enzymatic compartmentalization showed a significantly higher activity of crude trypsin in the anterior larval midgut rather than posterior-midgut. Using Diethylaminoethyl cellulose fast flow column chromatography a purified trypsin was obtained by specific activity of 21 U mg−1 protein, recovery of 22%, purification fold of 28-fold and molecular weight of 25 kDa. This purified enzyme showed the highest activity at pH 8 and the corresponding temperature of 40°C. However, the specific inhibitors used including 4-(2-Aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluroride hydrochloride, N-p-Tosyl-L-lysine methyl ester hydrochloride and Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor significantly lowered the activity of the purified enzyme in vitro. Moreover, the activity of trypsin and likewise the nutritional indices were significantly altered in the larval midgut feeding upon the leaves treated by 1 mM concentration of each inhibitor in comparison with control. Determination of enzymatic characteristics of insect trypsins is crucial in paving the path for controlling pests by potential natural compounds via transgenic plants.

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The construction of Bacillus thuringiensis strains expressing novel entomocidal δ-endotoxin combinations

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj2700133 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 270 (1) ◽

pp. 133-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

N Crickmore ◽

C Nicholls ◽

D J Earp ◽

T C Hodgman ◽

D J Ellar

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽

Parent Strain ◽

Pieris Brassicae ◽

Toxin Gene ◽

Delta Endotoxin ◽

Cabbage White Butterfly

Using our recently reported method of electroporation to transform Bacillus thuringiensis [Bone & Ellar (1989) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 58, 171-178], cloned B. thuringiensis entomocidal delta-endotoxin genes have been introduced into several native B. thuringiensis strains. In many cases the resulting transformants expressed both their native toxins and the cloned toxin, producing strains with broader toxicity spectra. The introduction of the var. tenebrionis toxin gene into B. thuringiensis var. israelensis resulted in a strain with activity against Pieris brassicae (cabbage white butterfly), an activity which neither parent strain possesses. We discuss further the possibility of synergism and also the problems associated with introducing cloned DNA by this method.

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Associative learning of visual and gustatory cues in the large cabbage white butterfly, Pieris brassicae

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/157075606777304159 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 157-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Renate Smallegange ◽

Tjarda Everaarts ◽

Joop Van Loon

Keyword(s):

Short Term Memory ◽

Pieris Brassicae ◽

Oviposition Stimulant ◽

Alternative Substrate ◽

Short Term ◽

Landing Response ◽

Simultaneous Training ◽

Cabbage White Butterfly ◽

Learned Preference ◽

Gustatory Stimulus

AbstractThe landing response of the large cabbage white butterfly Pieris brassicae was studied under controlled optical and gustatory stimulus conditions. Experience-based changes in landing behaviour were examined by offering cardboard circles of two different shades of green, treated with either an oviposition stimulant or a deterrent. We employed two training situations. In one situation the two shades of green, carrying either the stimulant or the deterrent, were offered simultaneously, in the other sequentially. During the 1 hour training periods, butterflies were either landing and drumming spontaneously or they were caught at the end of the period and placed on the artificial leaves until tarsal drumming ensued. Our experiments demonstrated that P. brassicae females can learn to associate visually detected substrate characteristics with contact-chemosensory information available only after landing. Furthermore, a learned preference for a substrate could be turned into a preference for the alternative substrate by exposing the insect to a deterrent on the previously preferred substrate. These results provide indications of aversion learning, thus far undocumented in oviposition behaviour of Lepidoptera. Bringing the butterflies into forced contact with the oviposition stimulant resulted in similar effects on landing preference compared to those of spontaneous landing, but spontaneous landing had a stronger effect on preference for associations involving the deterrent. The simultaneous training regime, which supposedly requires a less important role for short-term memory, was more effective in modifying landing preferences.

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