PT Unknown
AU Pajar, JA
TI Towards enhancing plant defense against the specialist aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.): lessons from tiny worms
PY 2025
DI 10.22032/dbt.68249
WP https://www.db-thueringen.de/receive/dbt_mods_00068249
LA en
DE Abwehrreaktion; Mehlige Kohlblattlaus
AB Plants are simultaneously attacked by herbivores below- and aboveground, triggering complex metabolic changes, such as the production of secondary metabolites. These metabolic shifts influence plant defense and mediate the interactions between root- and shoot herbivores. In Brassica nigra, root infection by two plant parasitic nematodes with contrasting lifestyles had different effects on the specialist aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae. Infection by root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) did not affect aphid performance, root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp.) infection reduced aphid survival. This was attributed to nematode-induced phytohormonal signaling interfering with aphid-induced defenses, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, these studies examined single species-nematode infections, whereas plants naturally encounter many nematode species simultaneously. It is not known whether mixed infections replicate these effects. I investigated the plant metabolic changes in response to M. incognita and P. penetrans, alone and in combination. I found that dual infection led to a distinct metabolic profile compared to single-species infections. Belowground, the metabolic changes due to dual infection are associated to nematode interaction, where P. penetrans facilitated M. incognita’s early infection success. Aboveground, single-species infections induced specific metabolic shifts in leaves and phloem, correlating with aphid performance: M. incognita did not affect aphid performance, while P. penetrans reduced aphid survival. In dual nematode infections, the shoot metabolic shifts affected aphid performance in a species- and infection time-dependent manner: early infection was dominated by P. penetrans, later by M. incognita. Aphid response reflected the effects of the dominant nematode. Here, I identified nematode-induced plant compounds that can be linked to defense against B. brassicae. Notably, metabolic analysis highlighted vitamin C as a key factor.
PI Jena
ER