Abstract

The phloem-feeding whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a serious pest to a broad range of host plants, including many economically important crops such as tomato. These insects serve as a vector for various devastating plant viruses. It is known that whiteflies are capable of manipulating host-defense responses, potentially mediated by effector molecules in the whitefly saliva. We hypothesized that, beside putative effector proteins, small RNAs (sRNA) are delivered by B. tabaci into the phloem, where they may play a role in manipulating host plant defenses. There is already evidence to suggest that sRNAs can mediate the host-pathogen dialogue. It has been shown that Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold disease, takes advantage of the plant sRNA machinery to selectively silence host genes involved in defense signaling. Here we identified sRNAs originating from B. tabaci in the phloem of tomato plants on which they are feeding. sRNAs were isolated and sequenced from tomato phloem of whitefly-infested and control plants as well as from the nymphs themselves, control leaflets, and from the infested leaflets. Using stem-loop RT-PCR, three whitefly sRNAs have been verified to be present in whitefly-infested leaflets that were also present in the whitefly-infested phloem sample. Our results show that whitefly sRNAs are indeed present in tomato tissues upon feeding, and they appear to be mobile in the phloem. Their role in the host-insect interaction can now be investigated.

Highlights

  • Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera), commonly known as whitefly, is a polyphagous insect that is a threat for many crops across the globe

  • Phloem samples were collected from uninfested tomato leaflets (Phloem control, PC) and compared to phloem samples from tomato leaflets infested with whitefly nymphs and eggs (Phloem whitefly, PW, Figure 1)

  • We show that B. tabaci appears to transfer small RNAs (sRNA) into the tomato phloem

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera), commonly known as whitefly, is a polyphagous insect that is a threat for many crops across the globe. Plants can defend themselves against herbivores and pathogens in various ways e.g., via physical barriers, volatile or non-volatile compounds, and through induction of defense responses controlled by various phytohormones (Walling, 2008; Kant et al, 2015). Trichomes can act both as physical barriers and as metabolite production facilities.

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call