BISEM · Biological Impact of Benzoxazinoid Metabolization by a Specialist Root Herbivore
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-06-01 → 2023-05-31
- EU contribution
- €203,149
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Biological Impact of Benzoxazinoid Metabolization by a Specialist Root Herbivore
Some herbivores can sequester and use plant secondary metabolites for their own defense. Despite many examples of sequestration, the impact of these compounds on herbivore performance is still not well understood, especially for root feeding insects. Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, or Western Corn Rootworms (WCR), the model species of BISEM, is a maize specialist and is able to detoxify the degradation product of benzoxazinoids, the (MBOA). This lipophilic compound is toxic to most insect herbivores, but WCR is able to convert it to MBOA-Glc, by adding a glucose molecule and stabilizing it to a hydrophilic compound. MBOA-Glc has been shown to be present in the cuticle and feces of these larvae and it is repellent to the major enemy of WCR, entomopathogenic nematodes. The main objective of this project was to investigate the impact of benzoxazinoids on the biology of the WCR, one of the major pests of maize crops that sequesters benzoxazinoids from maize root. Through molecular manipulation, we investigated the impact of these secondary metabolites in this sequestering root pest.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Some herbivores can sequester and use plant secondary metabolites for their own defense. Despite many examples of sequestration, the impact of these compounds on herbivore performance and natural enemy resistance in still not well understood, especially for root herbivores. The objective of this project is to investigate the biological relevance of benzoxazinoid N-glycosylation by the western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, one of the main pests of maize that sequesters benzoxazinoids from maize roots. To reach this aim, the project will combine mass spectrometry imaging with environmental RNAi and ecological assays to understand how the formation of N-glycosylated benzoxazinoids affects herbivore performance and resistance to entomopathogenic nematodes. This will be the first study to investigate the relevance of secondary metabolite sequestration in a root pest through molecular manipulation. This project will shed light on the importance of plant defense sequestration for root-feeding insects, for plant-insect interactions and for crop protection.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAET BERN · BernCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union