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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330872

Research Project: Insect, Nematode, and Plant Semiochemical Communication Systems

Location: Chemistry Research

Title: Harnessing insect-microbe chemical communications to control insect pest of agricultural systems

Author
item Beck, John
item VANNETTE, RACHEL - University Of California

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2016
Publication Date: 11/5/2016
Citation: Beck, J.J., Vannette, R.L. 2016. Harnessing insect-microbe chemical communications to control insect pest of agricultural systems. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 65:23-28.

Interpretive Summary: Insect have long been pests to managed crops worldwide. In addition to feeing damage to agricultural crops, they are also known to transport microbes, many of which are potentially dangerous for the safety of our food supply. There have been many of studies address the basic understanding of the plant-insect interaction and the complex physiological and biochemical responses of the plant and insect, as well as the induced responses from and to each. Odors given off by affected plants are thought to play distinct roles in the attraction of insects. Plants are also known to produce various odors when under attack by biological or environmental stressors. While these stressors can include a wide variety of organisms or conditions, the topic of this commentary draws attention to the plant-microbe system and the resultant odors emitted. In agricultural systems there appears to be two systems studied extensively – microbial and insect pests. Discussed will be a topical overview of plant, insect, microbe components within the insect-microbe beneficial relationship, but specifically highlighted will be the distinctive emission of certain odors that help organisms communicate (semiochemicals). These emissions of odors from mutually beneficial insect-microbe relationships are heretofore largely unreported. Not only do these emissions signal the suitability of a plant for insect food source, but may indicate a certain plant vulnerability thus providing a distinctive time frame for optimal growing conditions for both insect and microbe. Exploitation of these host-specific microbe communicative odors may provide important microbe- and host-based odor attractants and a basis for future plant-insect-microbe chemical ecology investigations.

Technical Abstract: Insect pests have long been known to impose serious yield, economic, and food safety problems to managed crops worldwide, and are known to vector microbes, many of which are pathogenic or toxigenic. At the heart of many of these studies has been the vital understanding of the plant-insect interaction and the complex physiological and biochemical responses of the plant and insect, as well as the induced responses from and to each. Host plant volatiles are thought to play distinct roles in the attraction of generalist phytophagous insects. Plants are also known to emit various volatile profiles, either induced or constitutively, under biotic or abiotic stressors. While these stressors can include a wide variety of organisms or conditions, the topic of this commentary draws attention to the plant-microbe system and the resultant volatile emissions. In agricultural systems there appears to be two systems studied extensively – microbial and insect pests. Discussed will be a topical overview of plant, insect, microbe components within the insect-microbe mutualism, but specifically highlighted will be the distinctive emission of semiochemicals from microbes that attract the insect pest to the host. These emissions from mutualistic insect-microbe relationships are heretofore largely unreported. Not only do these emissions signal host suitability, but may indicate a certain plant vulnerability thus providing a distinctive time frame for optimal growing conditions for both insect and microbe. Exploitation of these host-specific microbe semiochemicals may provide important microbe- and host-based kairomone attractants and a basis for future plant-insect-microbe chemical ecology investigations.