Lipoxygenases regulate digestive enzyme inhibitor activities in developing seeds of field-grown soybean against the southern green stink bug ().

Soybean (Glycine max ) is the world's most widely grown seed legume. One of the most important pests that decrease seed quality and reduce yield of soybean crops is the southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula ). Insect damage triggers accumulation of defensive compounds such as protease inhibitors (PIs), isoflavonoids and reactive oxygen species, which are regulated by the lipoxygenase (LOX)-regulated jasmonic acid (JA) to stop insect feeding.

Characterized non-transient microbiota from stinkbug (Nezara viridula) midgut deactivates soybean chemical defenses.

The Southern green stinkbug (N. viridula) feeds on developing soybean seeds in spite of their strong defenses against herbivory, making this pest one of the most harmful to soybean crops. To test the hypothesis that midgut bacterial community allows stinkbugs to tolerate chemical defenses of soybean developing seeds, we identified and characterized midgut microbiota of stinkbugs collected from soybean crops, different secondary plant hosts or insects at diapause on Eucalyptus trees.

Early perception of stink bug damage in developing seeds of field-grown soybean induces chemical defences and reduces bug attack.

Background: Southern green stink bugs (Nezara viridula L.) invade field-grown soybean crops, where they feed on developing seeds and inject phytotoxic saliva, which causes yield reduction. Although leaf responses to herbivory are well studied, no information is available about the regulation of defences in seeds.