scholarly journals Role of Saponins in Plant Defense against the Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (L.)

Author(s):  
Mubasher Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Qasim ◽  
Bamisope Steve Bamisile ◽  
Liande Wang

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is very destructive crucifers specialized pest that has resulted in significant crop losses worldwide. The pest is well attracted to glucosinolate-containing crucifers such as; Barbarea vulgaris (Brassicaceae), and generally to other plants in the genus Barbarea. B. vulgaris on their part, build up resistance against DBM and other herbivorous insects using glucosinolates; that are plant secondary metabolites used in plant defense–contained only in plants of the order Brassicales. Aside glucosinolates, plants in this genus Barbarea (Brassicaceae) also contain saponins; which is toxic to insects and act as feeding deterrents for plant herbivores, most importantly, DBM, as it was found to prevent the survival of DBM larvae on the plant. Saponins are plant secondary metabolites have been established in higher concentrations in younger in contrast to older leaves within the same plant. Previous studies have found a relationship between ontogenetical changes in the host plant’s saponin content and attraction/resistance to P. xylostella. The younger leaves recorded higher concentrations of glucosinolates and saponins, which naturally attracts the plant herbivores. DBM was reported to have evolved mechanisms to avoid the toxicity of the former. The plant-herbivore had adapted glucosinolates for host plant recognition, feeding and oviposition stimulants. Despite the adaptation for oviposition by P. xylostella adults, larvae of the insect cannot survive on the same plant. An example is in some varieties of B. vulgaris. The triterpenoid saponins which act as feeding deterrents in larvae are responsible for this direct defense mechanism against P. xylostella. In the future, trials by plant breeders could aim at transferring this insect resistance to other crops. The previous trials had limited because of lack of knowledge on the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory networks of saponins. Herein, we discussed exclusively; saponins mediated plant defense mechanisms against the DBM.

2010 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Henniges-Janssen ◽  
G. Schöfl ◽  
A. Reineke ◽  
D.G. Heckel ◽  
A.T. Groot

AbstractThe diamondback moth (DBM, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)) consumes a wide variety of brassicaceous host plants and is a common pest of crucifer crops worldwide. A highly unusual infestation of a sugar pea crop was recorded in Kenya in 1999, which persisted for two consecutive years. A strain (DBM-P) from this population was established in the laboratory and is the only one of several strains tested that can complete larval development on sugar peas. The oviposition acceptance and preference of the DBM-P strain was assessed in the presence of cabbage plants, sugar pea plants or both, in comparison to another strain (DBM-Cj) that was collected from cabbage and is unable to grow on pea plants. As expected, DBM-Cj females preferred to oviposit on cabbage plants. Surprisingly, DBM-P females also laid most eggs on cabbage and very few on peas. However, they laid significantly more eggs on the cabbage plant when pea plants were present. Our findings suggest that DBM-P manifested the initial stages of an evolutionary host range expansion, which is incomplete due to lack of oviposition fidelity on pea plants.


Author(s):  
William J Davis ◽  
Jo Anne Crouch

There are approximately 700 obligate biotrophic species grouped into 20 genera (Oomycota, Peronosporaceae) that cause downy mildew diseases. Dick hypothesized in 2001 that diversification of downy mildew species was driven, in part, by host plant secondary metabolites. Dick further speculated that this was driven by the transition of host plants away from mycorrhizal associations or the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. Specifically, loss of mycorrhizal associations or the use of C4 photosynthesis would result in more free carbon that the plants could then use to produce more secondary metabolites. If true, then there should be more downy mildew species that infect hosts from plant lineages that lack mycorrhizal associations or use C4 photosynthesis. However, analysis of 677 downy mildew species for host plant mycorrhizal associations and host plant photosynthetic pathway type show that this is not what occurred. Seventy percent of downy mildew species parasitize hosts that form mycorrhizal associations and 94% of downy mildew species parasitize hosts that use C3 photosynthesis. From this, it is concluded that the diversification of downy mildew species was not driven by the loss of mycorrhizal associations or the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. However, 85% of downy mildew species that parasitize Poaceae (grasses) parasitize C4 hosts. Thus, it is possible that C4 photosynthesis plays a role in the diversification of these genera.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mubasher Hussain ◽  
Biswojit Debnath ◽  
Muhammad Qasim ◽  
Bamisope Steve Bamisile ◽  
Waqar Islam ◽  
...  

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is a very destructive crucifer-specialized pest that has resulted in significant crop losses worldwide. DBM is well attracted to glucosinolates (which act as fingerprints and essential for herbivores in host plant recognition) containing crucifers such as wintercress, Barbarea vulgaris (Brassicaceae) despite poor larval survival on it due to high-to-low concentration of saponins and generally to other plants in the genus Barbarea. B. vulgaris build up resistance against DBM and other herbivorous insects using glucosinulates which are used in plant defense. Aside glucosinolates, Barbarea genus also contains triterpenoid saponins, which are toxic to insects and act as feeding deterrents for plant specialist herbivores (such as DBM). Previous studies have found interesting relationship between the host plant and secondary metabolite contents, which indicate that attraction or resistance to specialist herbivore DBM, is due to higher concentrations of glucosinolates and saponins in younger leaves in contrast to the older leaves of Barbarea genus. As a response to this phenomenon, herbivores as DBM has developed a strategy of defense against these plant biochemicals. Because there is a lack of full knowledge in understanding bioactive molecules (such as saponins) role in plant defense against plant herbivores. Thus, in this review, we discuss the role of secondary plant metabolites in plant defense mechanisms against the specialist herbivores. In the future, trials by plant breeders could aim at transferring these bioactive molecules against herbivore to cash crops.


2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Limei Yang ◽  
Zhiyuan Fang ◽  
Marcel Dicke ◽  
Joop J.A. van Loon ◽  
Maarten A. Jongsma

Author(s):  
Shouke Zhang ◽  
Junqia Kong ◽  
Longfei Chen ◽  
Kai Guo ◽  
Xudong Zhou

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) contained in plant litter will be released into soil with the decomposition process, which will affect the diversity and function of soil microbiomes. The response of soil microbiomes to PSMs in terms of diversity and function can provide an important theoretical basis for plantations to put forward rational soil ecological management measures.


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