Dynamic Plant Responses to Aphid Infestation

为了确保它们在自然界的生存，植物必须识别并对各种各样的昆虫食草动物做出反应。在这些攻击者中，蚜虫和其他半足类昆虫构成了特别的挑战，因为它们将细长的柱头插入细胞间，从韧皮部筛子中取食，从而造成相对较小的明显组织损伤。需要特定的植物识别途径来启动对这种独特昆虫摄食方式的抗性或耐受性。遗传模式植物拟南芥（鼠耳衣）与广泛存在的蚜虫桃蚜（Myzus persicae）结合，为研究植物对韧皮部取食昆虫的反应提供了一个很好的系统。植物生物测定与分离蚜虫唾液将识别唾液成分诱导植物防御反应。由此产生的基因表达变化以及植物初级和次级代谢的变化将被研究。所提出的研究的一个更广泛的影响是，发现韧皮部取食昆虫释放的未知激发子及其在寄主植物中产生的代谢反应将导致改进农业害虫管理策略。此外，该项目将有助于培养新一代化学生态学家和植物分子生物学家。参与该项目的暑期实习生将通过由首席研究员组织的成熟的本科植物研究计划招募。

To ensure their survival in the natural world, plants must recognize and respond to a wide variety of insect herbivores. Among these attackers, aphids and other hemipteran insects pose a particular challenge because they insert their slender stylets intercellularly to feed from the phloem sieve elements, thereby causing relatively little overt tissue damage. Specific plant recognition pathways are required for initiating resistance or tolerance to this unique insect feeding style. The genetic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (mouse-ear cress), in combination with the well-studied and ubiquitous aphid, Myzus persicae (green peach aphid), provides an excellent system for studying plant responses to phloem-feeding insects. Plant bioassays with fractionated aphid saliva will identify salivary components that induce plant defense responses. The resulting gene expression changes, as well as changes in plant primary and secondary metabolism will be investigated. A broader impact of the proposed research is that the discovery of as yet unknown elicitors released by phloem feeding insects and the resulting metabolic responses in the host plants will lead to improved agricultural pest management strategies. In addition, the project will contribute to the education of a new generation of chemical ecologists and plant molecular biologists. Summer interns participating in this project will be recruited through a well-established undergraduate plant research program that is organized by the principal investigator.