Aphid Feeding Induces Phytohormonal Cross-Talk without Affecting Silicon Defense against Subsequent Chewing Herbivores

Reprogramming of sorghum proteome in response to sugarcane aphid infestation

Sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner) is a key piercing-sucking pest of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) that cause significant yield losses. While feeding on host plants, complex signaling networks are invoked from recognition of insect attack to induction of plant defenses. Consequently, these signaling networks lead to the production of insecticidal compounds or limited access of nutrients to insects. Previously, several studies were published on the transcriptomics analysis of sorghum in response to SCA infestation, but no information is available on the physiological changes of sorghum at the proteome level. We used the SCA resistant sorghum genotype SC265 for the global proteomics analysis after 1 and 7 days of SCA infestation using the TMT-plex technique. Peptides matching a total of 4211 proteins were identified and 158 proteins were differentially expressed at day 1 and 7. Overall, proteome profiling of SC265 after SCA infestation at days 1 and 7 revealed the suppression of plant defense-related proteins and upregulation of plant defense and signaling-related proteins, respectively. The plant defense responses based on proteome data were validated using electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique to observe changes in aphid feeding. Feeding behavior analyses revealed that SCA spent significantly longer time in phloem phase on SCA infested plants for day 1 and lesser time in day 7 SCA infested sorghum plants, compared to their respective control plants. Overall, our study provides insights into underlying mechanisms that contribute to sorghum resistance to SCA.

Improvement of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Fitness on Chinese Kale upon Simultaneous Herbivory by Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Simple Summary

Different herbivores feeding on the same plant can interact through plant-mediated effects. Cotton whitefly and diamondback moth are two of the most destructive pests in the world, and they often occur together in cruciferous plants. However, how the performance and fitness of them are affected when co-occurring in the same host plant remains unclear. The present study demonstrates that cotton whitefly has become a dominant competitor by gaining increased fitness benefits when it is mixed with DBM on the same host plant irrespective of sequences of their arrival, which may be one of the reasons for the rapid expansion and outbreak of the whitefly population worldwide.

Abstract

Bemisia tabaci and the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, are two major cosmopolitan pests that often occur together and cause severe economic losses to cruciferous crops. However, little is known about how they interact with each other. To determine the effects of defense responses induced by the two pests on the biology and population dynamics of the herbivores, we studied the performance and fitness of B. tabaci and DBM when they damaged Chinese kale simultaneously and in different orders. The results showed that DBM pre-infestation shortened the developmental duration, increased longevity, oviposition days, and fecundity of B. tabaci. Meanwhile, the intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (R₀) and finite rate of increase (λ) of B. tabaci increased significantly with dual infection as compared with only B. tabaci infestation. In contrast, B. tabaci pre-infestation reduced the longevity and oviposition days of DBM, but the population parameters r, R₀, and λ did not vary significantly compared with only DBM infestation. Thus, co-infestation of B. tabaci and DBM was beneficial to the performance of the B. tabaci population. The present findings highlight that B. tabaci has become a dominant competitor when mixing with DBM on the same host plant.