Abstract
Induction of jasmonate-mediated plant defense against insect herbivory is initiated by a combination of both mechanical wounding and chemical factors. In order to study both effects independently on plant defense induction, SpitWorm, a computer-controlled device which mimics the damage pattern of feeding insect larvae on leaves and, in addition, can apply oral secretions (OS) or other solutions to the ‘biting site’ during ‘feeding,’ was developed and evaluated. The amount of OS left by a Spodoptera littoralis larva during feeding on Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean) leaves was estimated by combining larval foregut volume, biting rate, and quantification of a fluorescent dye injected into the larvae’s foregut prior to feeding. For providing OS amounts by SpitWorm equivalent to larval feeding, dilution and delivery rate were optimized. The effectiveness of SpitWorm was tested by comparing volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions of P. lunatus leaves treated with either SpitWorm, MecWorm, or S. littoralis larvae. Identification and quantification of emitted VOCs revealed that SpitWorm induced a volatile bouquet that is qualitatively and quantitatively similar to herbivory. Additionally, RT-qPCR of four jasmonic acid responsive genes showed that SpitWorm, in contrast to MecWorm, induces the same regulation pattern as insect feeding. Thus, SpitWorm mimics insect herbivory almost identically to real larvae feeding.
Highlights
Standing at the beginning of the food chain, plants undergo biotic and abiotic challenges from the environment
The syringe was actuated by a syringe to generate connected to a capillary running through the inner-hollow of the ‘biting’ needle of MecWorm’s punch head up to quantitative a hole close to thedelivery needle tip
Plants react herbivory withwith a series of defense reactionsreactions provokedprovoked by the mechanical destruction
Summary
Standing at the beginning of the food chain, plants undergo biotic and abiotic challenges from the environment. Herbivorous insects are one of their major threats, especially in vascular plants Despite their physical immobility, plants have survived and propagated for hundreds of millions of years. Plants have survived and propagated for hundreds of millions of years During this long time, they have coevolved with herbivorous insects and developed strategies to fend, repel, and defeat their insect enemies [1]. Plant defense strategies against herbivores have aroused passionate and intense interests and research with profound achievements, especially in the last 30 years [2]. These studies have deciphered that the feeding of insects can initiate a series of diverse defense related events in planta, such as signaling processes, jasmonate accumulation, specific
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