Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2012 Dec;27(12):705-11. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.08.013. Epub 2012 Sep 15.
There is growing evidence of the importance of microbial mutualistic symbioses in insect-plant interactions. Mutualists may affect host plant range and enable insects to manipulate plant physiology for their own benefit. The plant can also be a route for the horizontal transfer of mutualistic microorganisms among their host insects. Where this occurs, selection for improved transmission might cause the insect mutualist to damage the plant and become a plant pathogen. Insect microbial associates can influence ecological communities by changing the way the plant interacts with their hosts' competitors and natural enemies. We review recent research in this field and suggest that insect mutualists may be more important 'hidden players' in insect-plant interactions than is currently realised.
越来越多的证据表明微生物共生关系在昆虫-植物相互作用中的重要性。共生体可能会影响宿主植物的范围，并使昆虫能够操纵植物生理学以谋取自身利益。植物也可以成为共生微生物在其宿主昆虫之间水平转移的途径。在这种情况下，为了提高传播效率的选择可能会导致昆虫共生体损害植物并成为植物病原体。昆虫微生物共生体可以通过改变植物与宿主竞争者和天敌相互作用的方式来影响生态群落。我们回顾了这一领域的最新研究，并提出昆虫共生体可能比目前人们所认识到的更重要的“隐藏角色”，在昆虫-植物相互作用中。
