Herbivore Associated Microorganisms Modulating Induced Plant Defenses

Abstract

Animals that feed on plant tissues or plant products are called herbivores. Plants present various nutritional and defensive barriers against herbivores; nevertheless, insects have evolved a diverse array of mechanisms that enable them to feed and develop on live plant tissues. (Hanson and Moran, 2013). Induced plant defenses in response toherbivore attack are modulated by cross-talk between jasmonic acid JA and salicylic acid SA signaling pathways. Oral secretions from some insect herbivores contain effectors that overcome these antiherbivore defenses (Chung et al., 2013). Su et al., 2015). Herbivore associated bacteria not only influence the immune phenotype of their insect host, but also the immune phenotype of the insect's host plant (Wang et al., 2017). Bacteria mediating the plant response to herbivore attack can be allocated to three major groups, based on their location onto the herbivore: environmental (or external), digestive system (internal extracellular) and endosymbionts (internal intracellular) (Schausberger, 2018). Herbivores possess diverse microbes in their digestive systems, affects the host physiology and these microbial symbionts can modify plantinsect interactions (