Aphid Probing and Phloem Feeding Trigger Distinct Plant Immune Programs, Identifying a Broad‑Spectrum Trypsin Protease Inhibitor.
Aphid probing and phloem feeding activate distinct plant immune responses, with probing triggering jasmonate signaling and a broad-spectrum trypsin protease inhibitor, CsTrypPI1.
- Why it matters: Understanding how different aphid feeding behaviors influence plant immunity can improve pest management strategies and resolve conflicting views on hormone roles in plant defense.
- What they did: The study analyzed plant immune responses during aphid probing and phloem feeding, identifying key signaling pathways and discovering CsTrypPI1, a JA-dependent protease inhibitor upregulated during probing.
- The result: Transgenic plants overexpressing CsTrypPI1 showed resistance against multiple pests, demonstrating its potential as a broad-spectrum defense agent and highlighting behavioral-immunological interfaces as targets for sustainable pest control.