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Insect oral secretions suppress wound-induced responses in Arabidopsis.

Insect oral secretions suppress wound-induced responses in Arabidopsis. Thumbnail


Abstract

The induction of plant defences and their subsequent suppression by insects is thought to be an important factor in the evolutionary arms race between plants and herbivores. Although insect oral secretions (OS) contain elicitors that trigger plant immunity, little is known about the suppressors of plant defences. The Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptome was analysed in response to wounding and OS treatment. The expression of several wound-inducible genes was suppressed after the application of OS from two lepidopteran herbivores, Pieris brassicae and Spodoptera littoralis. This inhibition was correlated with enhanced S. littoralis larval growth, pointing to an effective role of insect OS in suppressing plant defences. Two genes, an ERF/AP2 transcription factor and a proteinase inhibitor, were then studied in more detail. OS-induced suppression lasted for at least 48 h, was independent of the jasmonate or salicylate pathways, and was not due to known elicitors. Interestingly, insect OS attenuated leaf water loss, suggesting that insects have evolved mechanisms to interfere with the induction of water-stress-related defences.

Acceptance Date Aug 22, 2011
Publication Date Oct 11, 2011
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Journal of Experimental Biology
Print ISSN 0022-0949
Publisher Company of Biologists
Pages 727 - 737
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/err308
Keywords Arabidopsis thaliana, defence suppression, gene expression, insect oral secretions, wounding
Publisher URL https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/63/2/727/502848

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