Oligogalacturonides Enhance Resistance against Aphids through Pattern-Triggered Immunity and Activation of Salicylic Acid Signaling

Abstract

The remarkable capacity of the generalist aphid Myzus persicae to resist most classes of pesticides, along with the environmental and human health risks associated with these agrochemicals, has necessitated the development of safer and greener solutions to control this agricultural pest. Oligogalacturonides (OGs) are pectin-derived molecules that can be isolated from fruit industry waste. OGs have been shown to efficiently stimulate plant defenses against pathogens such as Pseudomonas syringae and Botrytis cinerea. However, whether OGs confer resistance against phytophagous insects such as aphids remains unknown. Here, we treated Arabidopsis plants with OGs and recorded their effects on the feeding performance and population of M. persicae aphids. We also identified the defense mechanism triggered by OGs in plants through the analysis of gene expression and histological approaches. We found that OG treatments increased their resistance to M. persicae infestation by reducing the offspring number and feeding performance. Furthermore, this enhanced resistance was related to a substantial accumulation of callose and reactive oxygen species and activation of the salicylic acid signaling pathway.

Peach–Potato Aphid Myzus persicae: Current Management Strategies, Challenges, and Proposed Solutions

“…The expression of these effector proteins is host-specific, and M. persicae modulates them according to the host plant [35]. Previous studies have reported a positive correlation between the expression of Mp55 proteins and the performance of M. persicae in B. oleracea, Nicotiana tabacum, and A. thaliana [28,36]. Conclusively, effector proteins perform a broad range of anti-defensive functions in host plants, such as a reduced accumulation of toxic compounds, the inhibition of callose formation, and the lowering of defence signalling molecules [28].…”

Recent Advances in Plant–Insect Interactions

“…Aphids, with particular reference to the generalist Myzus persicae, show high resistance to pesticides, which has prompted the search for new environmentally-friendly bioactive molecules to control this pest. Francisca Blanco-Herrera and co-workers showed that pectin-derived oligogalacturonides (OGs) improve Arabidopsis' performance against M. persicae by identifying defense mechanisms involving the production of callose and ROS and the expression of genes related to the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway [6]. The treatment of Arabidopsis with OGs successfully increased resistance to the aforementioned aphid.…”

Phenotypic plasticity plays an essential role in the confrontation between plants and herbivorous insects

“…As the same time, the movement of ions in and out of the cell alters the cell's internal and external electrical potential, consequently transmitting the signal to the neighboring cells (Bricchi et al 2013;Steinhorst and Kudla 2014). When cell wall damage decomposes under the action of PG to produce OGs, which act as the first messenger to transmit damage signals, MAPK is induced to regulate the expression of damage-related genes through receptors (Silva-Sanzana et al 2022;Oelmüller et al 2023). In addition, ATP, HMG, and other DAMPs can regulate gene expression in a similar way (Fig.…”