Phytopathogen Lures Its Insect Vector by Altering Host Plant Odor

Mayer, Christoph J.; Vilcinskas, Andreas; Gross, Jürgen

doi:10.1007/s10886-008-9516-1

Cited by 124 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…was analyzed in adult Empoasca leafhoppers and leaf samples from both sets. A PCR approach using universal primers for the amplification of 16S rRNA (Table S1) (14,41,42) was used for the detection of Ca. Phytoplasma spp.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, phytopathogen infections can cause dramatic changes in volatile emissions, and these emissions can lure insect vectors to infected plants (14). Our studies focused on the initial selection of plants for feeding by Empoasca leafhoppers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phytoplasma asteris infection reduces JA biosynthesis in A. thaliana plants (15) and that Ca. Phytoplasma mali infections induce Malus domestica to emit higher amounts of β-caryophyllene to lure insect vectors (14). In nature, the proportion of leafhoppers infected by Ca.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These suppression mechanisms often are associated with the alteration of phytohormone biosynthesis or signaling pathways and may involve specific enzymes (e.g., glucose oxidase) produced by the insect (13) or vectored microorganisms (14,15). Leafhoppers of the genus Empoasca are hemipterans (family Cicadellidae) that feed on phloem and cell contents of a broad range of host plants (16,17).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been shown that Malus domestica trees infected by Ca. Phytoplasma mali emit larger amounts of β-caryophyllene, a volatile that lures insect vectors to infected plants, than do noninfected trees, (14). A recent laboratory study performed with Arabidopsis thaliana and Macrosteles quadrilineatus leafhoppers showed that effector proteins produced by Ca.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Empoasca leafhoppers attack wild tobacco plants in a jasmonate-dependent manner and identify jasmonate mutants in natural populations

Kallenbach

Bonaventure

Gilardoni

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

117

172

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Choice of host plants by phytophagous insects is essential for their survival and reproduction. This choice involves complex behavioral responses to a variety of physical and chemical characteristics of potential plants for feeding. For insects of the order Hemiptera, these behavioral responses involve a series of steps including labial dabbing and probing using their piercing mouthparts. These initial probing and feeding attempts also elicit a rapid accumulation of phytohormones, such as jasmonic acid (JA), and the induced defense metabolites they mediate. When Nicotiana attenuata plants are rendered JA deficient by silencing the initial committed step of the JA biosynthesis pathway, they are severely attacked in nature by hemipteran leafhoppers of the genus Empoasca. By producing N. attenuata plants silenced in multiple steps of JA biosynthesis and perception and in the biosynthesis of the plant's three major classes of JA-inducible insecticidal defenses, we demonstrate that the choice of plants for feeding by Empoasca leafhoppers in both nature and the glasshouse is independent of the accumulation of major insecticidal molecules. Moreover, this choice is independent of the presence of Candidatus Phytoplasma spp. and is not associated with detectable changes in plant volatiles but instead depends on the plant´s capacity to mediate JA signaling. We exploited this trait and used Empoasca leafhoppers to reveal genetic variation in JA accumulation and signaling hidden in N. attenuata natural populations. P lants provide a variety of resources, such as food, mating and oviposition sites, and shelter for a majority of phytophagous insect species. Host-plant selection by insects involves complex behavioral responses to a variety of physical and chemical characteristics of the host plant that operate at different spatial scales and include long-range olfactory (e.g., plant-derived volatiles perceived by odor receptors) and visual (e.g., plant shape, size, and color) cues and short-range chemotactic and gustatory (e.g., surface metabolites perceived by chemoreceptors) cues (1-3). The physical and chemical characteristics of plants that insects use for host selection depend on the feeding guild and the dietary behavior (e.g., polyphagy or oligophagy) of the insect species (4). For example, Drosophila melanogaster flies (order Diptera) use a wide range of olfactory cues such as methyl-, ethyl-, and propyl esters of short-chain fatty acids generated by microorganisms growing on decaying fruit (5), whereas Drosophila sechellia flies use a specific molecule (methyl hexanoate) emitted by its exclusive food plant, Morinda citrifolia (6).

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%