Journal of Insect Science (2006) 6 (46), 20-21

Frédéric Francis, Nicolas Harmel, Edwin De Pauw and Eric Haubruge (2006)
Proteomic approach to investigate aphid - plant interactions
Journal of Insect Science 6 (46), 20-21
in M. Adams et al. [editors] Abstracts of the Fifth International Symposium on Molecular Insect Science (May 20-24, 2006, Tucson, Arizona USA), 76 pp.
Abstract: Plant-insect relations are mainly regulated by the evolution of the defense mechanisms developed by plants and the ways herbivore insects adapt themselves to these defensive systems. Plant defense can be direct or indirect, localised or systemic. A common property of these mechanisms is the broad range of phytophagous agents, including insect pests, which are efficiently controlled by the defensive produced molecules. To cope with the induction of several direct defense molecules, herbivores developed several detoxification enzymatic systems such as the gluthathione S-transferases and monooxygenases. Here we studied the chemical ecology of aphid (such as M. persicae)-plant relations using a proteomic approach. The aphid switch from one host plant to others within the Solanaceae and Brassicaceae family was first investigated to assess the metabolic changes and potential adaptations in aphids according to particular host plant species. Specific associations between aphids and their host plants were previously shown to be related to the presence of particular bacterial symbionts. The respective role of the aphid and their related symbionts in the adaptation to the host plant was also investigated considering the proteome variations of aphids in presence or absence of endosymbionts. Finally, the particular role of aphids in plant defensive responses due to its sucking feeding behavior was investigated focusing on the protein composition of aphid saliva. The complex protein mixtures from different aphid materials were separated by two dimension electrophoresis methods and the related spots of proteins significantly varying were selected and identified by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS-MS and Maldi-Tof-MS-MS) coupled with data bank investigations. The impact of the down regulated or over expressed aphid proteins involved in different metabolic pathways was discussed. This broad proteomic approach is a very reliable tool to study the biologically involved proteins from aphids in response to several environmental changes, and particularly the insect-host plant interactions.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Frédéric Francis

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host
molecular biology - genes

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Myzus persicae