Publications by authors named "David Letwin"
Article Synopsis
- Arabidopsis thaliana uses the jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway to produce defense compounds against herbivores like the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae).
- The study focuses on understanding which phytochemicals, particularly those derived from tryptophan, are critical for Arabidopsis's defense against this herbivore.
- Results show that the indole glucosinolate (IG) pathway is essential for tryptophan-mediated defense, requiring processing by myrosinases to effectively limit the mite's oviposition, while also highlighting that additional JA-regulated defenses play a role in overall protection.
Comprehensive understanding of pleiotropic roles of RNAi machinery highlighted the conserved chromosomal functions of RNA interference. The consequences of the evolutionary variation in the core RNAi pathway genes are mostly unknown, but may lead to the species-specific functions associated with gene silencing. The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a major polyphagous chelicerate pest capable of feeding on over 1100 plant species and developing resistance to pesticides used for its control.
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