Dynamic Plant Responses to Aphid Infestation

为了确保它们在自然界中的生存，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，蚜虫和其他半翅目昆虫构成了特别的挑战，因为它们将细长的口针插入细胞间，从韧皮部筛子分子中取食，从而对公开的组织造成相对较小的破坏。特定的植物识别途径是启动对这种独特的昆虫取食方式的抗性或耐受性所必需的。遗传模式植物拟南芥(鼠耳水芹)与广泛研究和普遍存在的桃蚜(桃蚜)相结合，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。用分离的蚜虫唾液进行植物生物检测将识别诱导植物防御反应的唾液成分。由此产生的基因表达变化，以及植物初级和次生代谢的变化将被研究。拟议研究的一个更广泛的影响是，发现由韧皮部取食的昆虫释放的未知激发子，以及由此产生的寄主植物的代谢反应，将导致改进农业有害生物管理策略。此外，该项目还将有助于培养新一代化学生态学家和植物分子生物学家。参与这个项目的暑期实习生将通过一个由首席调查员组织的完善的本科生植物研究计划来招募。

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.