Physiological and Population Responses of Nilaparvata lugens after Feeding on Drought-Stressed Rice

Abstract

Drought stress greatly impacts insect development and population growth. Some studies have demonstrated increased reproductive capacity in drought-stressed insects; however, physiological changes in the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), during periods of drought are unclear. In this study, BPH fed on drought- stressed rice had lower population numbers than BPH feeding on non-stressed rice. Water content, osmotic pressure of hemolymph and total amino acid content of BPH were significantly lower when BPH fed on drought-stressed rice compared to the non-stressed control; however, glucose content and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity were significantly higher in BPH fed on drought-stressed rice. The expression of Vitellogenin and Exuperantia in BPH fed on drought-stressed rice was higher than that in BPH feeding on non-stressed control plants. The size of myofibrils and the abundance of mitochondria in BPH flight muscles were significantly lower in BPH fed on drought-stressed rice compared to non-stressed plants. These results indicate that water management impacts the physiology of BPH, which may be useful in understanding the relationship between drought stress and this damaging herbivore.

Silencing a dehydration‐responsive element‐binding gene enhances the resistance of plants to a phloem‐feeding herbivore

“…Previous studies have revealed that BPH infestation can regulate signalling pathways mediated by JA, SA, ethylene, ABA and H 2 O 2 in rice; these pathways in turn cause changes in metabolomes in rice and thus regulate the resistance of rice to BPH (Hu et al, 2016; Lou et al, 2013; Lu et al, 2014; Muduli et al, 2021; Zhang et al, 2021; Zhou et al, 2009). On the other hand, abiotic stresses, such as cold and drought, influence the performance of BPH directly and indirectly by affecting the physiological and biochemical status of rice plants (Horgan et al, 2021; Huang et al, 2017; Liang et al, 2022; Quais et al, 2020). Moreover, OsDREB1A is reported to promote the tolerance of rice to cold, drought and salinity stress (Ito et al, 2006).…”