Department of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Translational Plant Biology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
ISME J. 2024 Jan 8;18(1). doi: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae097.
The Southern green shield bug, Nezara viridula, is an invasive piercing and sucking pest insect that feeds on crop plants and poses a threat to global food production. Given that insects are known to live in a close relationship with microorganisms, our study provides insights into the community composition and function of the N. viridula-associated microbiota and its effect on host-plant interactions. We discovered that N. viridula hosts both vertically and horizontally transmitted microbiota throughout different developmental stages and their salivary glands harbor a thriving microbial community that is transmitted to the plant while feeding. The N. viridula microbiota was shown to aid its host with the detoxification of a plant metabolite, namely 3-nitropropionic acid, and repression of host plant defenses. Our results demonstrate that the N. viridula-associated microbiota plays an important role in interactions between insects and plants and could therefore be considered a valuable target for the development of sustainable pest control strategies.
南方绿蝽，Nezara viridula，是一种入侵性的刺吸式害虫，以作物为食，对全球粮食生产构成威胁。鉴于昆虫与微生物之间存在着密切的关系，我们的研究深入了解了 N. viridula 相关微生物群落的组成和功能，以及其对宿主-植物相互作用的影响。我们发现，N. viridula 在不同的发育阶段既垂直传播也水平传播微生物群，并且其唾液腺中存在一个蓬勃发展的微生物群落，在取食时传递给植物。研究表明，N. viridula 微生物群有助于其宿主对植物代谢物 3-硝基丙酸的解毒，并抑制宿主植物的防御。我们的研究结果表明，N. viridula 相关微生物群在昆虫与植物的相互作用中发挥着重要作用，因此可以被视为开发可持续害虫控制策略的一个有价值的目标。
