Molecular interactions between plants and aphids: Recent advances and future perspectives

Authors: KUMARASWAMY, SUNIL - Oklahoma State University; Huang, Yinghua

Submitted to: Insects
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/25/2024
Publication Date: 11/28/2024
Citation: Kumaraswamy, S., Huang, Y. 2024. Molecular interactions between plants and aphids: Recent advances and future perspectives. Insects. 15(12). Article 935. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15120935.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15120935

Interpretive Summary: Sorghum is one of the important cereal crops and it contributes a variety of products, including grain, forage, and renewable sources of biofuel. Like many other field crops, sorghum plants are often attacked by various enemies, particularly aphids, which cause severe damages to the plants and result in significant yield loss. Naturally, plant responses to aphid in very different ways to aphid attacking between resistant and susceptible varieties, leading to positive or negative results. Plant-aphid interactions are complex, involving a series of defense mechanisms. When aphids feed on plants, they trigger plant defenses mediated by phytohormones, secondary metabolites, lectins, protease inhibitors and resistance genes that disrupt aphid growth and reproduction. Aphids counter these defenses with salivary effectors that suppress plant immunity. Understanding these interactions can guide the development of aphid-resistant crops through breeding and genetic engineering, offering sustainable pest management strategies and reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

Technical Abstract: Aphids are small notorious insect pests that negatively impact plant health and agricultural productivity through direct damage, such as sap-sucking, and indirectly as vectors of plant viruses. Plants respond to aphid feeding with a variety of molecular mechanisms to mitigate damage. These responses are diverse and highly dynamic, functioning either independently or in combination. Understanding plant-aphid interactions is crucial for revealing the full range of plant defenses against aphids. When aphids infest, plants detect the damage via specific receptor proteins, initiating a signaling cascade that activates defense mechanisms. These defenses include a complex interaction of phytohormones that trigger defense pathways, secondary metabolites that deter aphid feeding and reproduction, lectins and protease inhibitors that disrupt aphid physiology, and elicitors that activate further defense responses. Meanwhile, aphids counteract plant defenses with salivary effectors and proteins that suppress plant defenses, aiding in their successful colonization. Studying these intricate molecular interactions provides valuable insights for developing innovative and sustainable pest management strategies, thereby enhancing crop resilience and reducing the need for chemical pesticides.