Experimental and Applied Acarology (2017) 73, 297-315

Miguel G. Ximénez-Embún, Joris J. Glas, Felix Ortego, Juan M. Alba, Pedro Castañera and Merijn R. Kant (2017)
Drought stress promotes the colonization success of a herbivorous mite that manipulates plant defenses
Experimental and Applied Acarology 73 (3-4), 297-315
Abstract: Climate change is expected to bring longer periods of drought and this may affect the plant's ability to resist pests. We assessed if water deficit affects the tomato russet mite (TRM; Aculops lycopersici), a key tomato-pest. TRM thrives on tomato by suppressing the plant's jamonate defenses while these defenses typically are modulated by drought stress. We observed that the TRM population grows faster and causes more damage on drought-stressed plants. To explain this observation we measured several nutrients, phytohormones, defense-gene expression and the activity of defensive proteins in plants with or without drought stress or TRM. TRM increased the levels of total protein and several free amino acids. It also promoted the SA-response and upregulated the accumulation of jasmonates but down-regulated the downstream marker genes while promoting the activity of cysteine—but not serine—protease inhibitors, polyphenol oxidase and of peroxidase (POD). Drought stress, in turn, retained the down regulation of JA-marker genes and reduced the activity of serine protease inhibitors and POD, and altered the levels of some free-amino acids. When combined, drought stress antagonized the accumulation of POD and JA by TRM and synergized accumulation of free sugars and SA. Our data show that drought stress interacts with pest-induced primary and secondary metabolic changes and promotes pest performance.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Félix Ortego, Pedro Castañera, Juan Manuel Alba, Joris J. Glas

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aculops lycopersici	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Netherlands