Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas / Instituto de Investigaciones en Biociencias Agrícolas y Ambientales, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Avda. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cátedra de Bioquímica, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Avda. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 22;10(1):15468. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72540-3.
The stink bug Nezara viridula is one of the most threatening pests for agriculture in North and South America, and its oral secretion may be responsible for the damage it causes in soybean (Glycine max) crop. The high level of injury to seeds caused by pentatomids is related to their feeding behavior, morphology of mouth parts, and saliva, though information on the specific composition of the oral secretion is scarce. Field studies were conducted to evaluate the biochemical damage produced by herbivory to developing soybean seeds. We measured metabolites and proteins to profile the insect saliva in order to understand the dynamics of soybean-herbivore interactions. We describe the mouth parts of N. viridula and the presence of metabolites, proteins and active enzymes in the watery saliva that could be involved in seed cell wall modification, thus triggering plant defenses against herbivory. We did not detect proteins from bacteria, yeasts, or soybean in the oral secretion after feeding. These results suggest that the digestive activity and organic compounds of watery saliva may elicit a plant self-protection response. This study adds to our understanding of stink bug saliva plasticity and its role in the struggle against soybean defenses.
南美和北美洲的农业受到了绿盲蝽（Nezara viridula）这种极具威胁性的虫害之一的侵害，而其唾液可能是导致大豆作物受损的原因。半翅目昆虫对种子造成的高损伤与其取食行为、口器形态和唾液有关，但有关唾液具体成分的信息却很少。本研究开展了田间试验以评估植食对发育中大豆种子造成的生化损伤。我们测量了代谢物和蛋白质，以分析昆虫唾液，从而了解大豆-植食者相互作用的动态。我们描述了绿盲蝽的口器以及在水样唾液中存在的代谢物、蛋白质和活性酶，这些物质可能参与了种子细胞壁的修饰，从而触发了植物对植食的防御。在取食后，我们没有在口腔分泌物中检测到细菌、酵母或大豆的蛋白质。这些结果表明，水样唾液的消化活性和有机化合物可能会引发植物的自我保护反应。本研究增进了我们对半翅目昆虫唾液可塑性及其在抵御大豆防御中的作用的理解。
