Discovery of Three Effectors and Their Effect on Gene Expression in Planta.

(whitefly) is a polyphagous agroeconomic pest species complex. Two members of this species complex, Mediterranean (MED) and Middle-East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), have a worldwide distribution and have been shown to manipulate plant defenses through effectors. In this study, we used three different strategies to identify three MEAM1 proteins that can act as effectors.

Interaction of Whitefly Effector G4 with Tomato Proteins Impacts Whitefly Performance.

The phloem-feeding insect is an important pest, responsible for the transmission of several crop-threatening virus species. While feeding, the insect secretes a cocktail of effectors to modulate plant defense responses. Here, we present a set of proteins identified in an artificial diet on which was salivating.

A salivary GMC oxidoreductase of Manduca sexta re-arranges the green leaf volatile profile of its host plant.

Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) are short-chain oxylipins that are emitted from plants in response to stress. Previous studies have shown that oral secretions (OS) of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, introduced into plant wounds during feeding, catalyze the re-arrangement of GLVs from Z-3- to E-2-isomers. This change in the volatile signal however is bittersweet for the insect as it can be used by their natural enemies, as a prey location cue.

Genetic and physiological requirements for high-level sesquiterpene-production in tomato glandular trichomes.

Type-VI glandular trichomes of wild tomato PI127826 produce high levels of the sesquiterpene 7-epizingiberene and its derivatives, making the plant repellent and toxic to several pest insects and pathogens. How wild tomato trichomes achieve such high terpene production is still largely unknown. Here we show that a cross (F1) with a cultivated tomato produced only minute levels of 7-epizingiberene.

Insects Co-opt Host Genes to Overcome Plant Defences.

Insect pests of plants, such as whiteflies, cause immense economic damage both through direct feeding and by transmitting viruses. In a major breakthrough, a paper by Xia . shows that some whiteflies have co-opted a gene from their plant host that has helped them neutralize a key component of the plant's defense.