RUI: Deciphering Plant-Herbivore Interactions

PI: Richard O. Musser（西伊利诺伊大学）Co-PI: Sue M. humm -Musser（西伊利诺伊大学）合作者：Heiko Vogel（马克斯普朗克化学生态学研究所，耶拿，德国）昆虫食草性极大地影响了植物如何保护自己免受昆虫取食，病原体感染以及植物的生长习惯。与单纯的身体伤害相比，植物被昆虫捕食时的反应不同。这种反应可能是由于昆虫产生和分泌的唾液。由于两种主要的植物防御机制之间的相互作用，植物防御途径的复杂性仍然需要确定，这些机制可以被食草动物以不同的摄食方式刺激。咀嚼昆虫会造成大的伤口，而吸吮昆虫会在植物组织上造成较小的穿孔。此外，以植物为食的昆虫的成功依赖于它们克服植物产生的有毒化合物的能力。本项目将利用微阵列杂交技术研究毛虫唾液和蚜虫分泌物同时刺激玉米和番茄植株防御反应的作用。迄今为止，很少有这类研究调查同时进食两种不同类型的植物食草动物，这两种植物食草动物已知会刺激相反的和不同的植物防御途径，而不是进食单一类型的昆虫。通过与马克斯·普朗克化学生态学研究所（德国）的科学家的国际合作，该项目将同时研究食草昆虫如何对有毒植物防御化合物和防御蛋白质的消耗做出反应。这些实验可能揭示植物对昆虫食草反应的防御化合物与昆虫对植物防御化学物质的防御反应之间的联系。由于害虫每年给美国农业造成数十亿美元的损失，这个项目的信息可以为开发保护重要经济植物的新方法提供新的见解。该项目将由西伊利诺伊大学的研究人员和本科生及研究生组成的国际团队进行。学生将在科学过程的各个阶段接受培训和工作，这将提供宝贵的研究经验，为他们未来成为科学家和研究人员做好准备。这些重要的植物和昆虫相互作用和防御途径的知识将通过科学会议和论文、项目所在大学的定期课程、学生和高中教师的年度研讨会以及公众新闻传播传播给公众和科学界。此外，所有数据将通过项目网站和基因表达综合（GEO） （http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/geo/）提供。所有使用的生物材料都可以通过一般种子公司和昆虫公司获得。

PI: Richard O. Musser (Western Illinois University)Co-PI: Sue M. Hum-Musser (Western Illinois University)Collaborator: Heiko Vogel (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany)Insect herbivory dramatically affects how plants defend themselves against insect feeding, pathogen infection, as well as plant growth habits. Plants respond differently when fed on by insects compared to mere physical wounding. This response is likely due to saliva produced and secreted by the insect. The complexity of plant defense pathways still need to be determined due to interactions between the two major plant defense mechanisms that can be stimulated by herbivores with different methods of feeding. Chewing insects produce large wounds and sucking insects produce smaller punctures in the plant tissue. In addition, the success of plant feeding insects is dependent on their ability to overcome plant produced toxic compounds. This project will investigate the role of caterpillar saliva and aphid secretions simultaneously stimulating the corn and tomato plant defense responses using microarray hybridization technology. To date, there have been few studies of this kind investigating the simultaneous feeding of two different types of plant herbivory that are known to stimulate the opposite and different plant defense pathways, compared to feeding from a single type of insect. Through an international collaboration with scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Germany), the project will concurrently address how the insect herbivore responds to consumption of toxic plant defense compounds and defensive proteins. These experiments may reveal any connection between plant defense compounds in response to insect herbivory and the insect defense responses to plant defensive chemicals. Because insect pests cause billions of dollars of damage to U.S. agriculture annually, information from this project could provide new insight required to develop novel methods for protecting economically important plants.This project will be performed by an international team of researchers and undergraduate and graduate students at Western Illinois University. Students will be trained and work in all phases of the scientific process that will provide an invaluable research experience that will prepare them for their future as scientists and researchers. Knowledge of these important plant and insect interaction and defense pathways will be disseminated to the general public and scientific communities through scientific meetings and papers, regular course offerings at the University where the project is being run, yearly workshops for students and high school teachers, and general public news communications. In addition, all data will be available through the project website and through Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/geo/). All biological materials used are available through general seed companies and insectaries.