Khoso Abdul Ghaffar, Li Yongqiang, Liu Deguang
Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.
Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northwestern Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.
J Econ Entomol. 2025 Feb 11;118(1):203-218. doi: 10.1093/jee/toae293.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may promote growth and stress resilience of plants, particularly under water-deficit conditions. However, interactions among mycorrhizal fungi, wheat plants, and aphids like the English grain aphid Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) under water-deficit stress are still not well understood. Here, we examined the colonization of the fungus Claroideoglomus etunicatum (Glomerales: Claroideoglomeraceae) on wheat, and its effects on development and behavior of S. avenae under different water regimes. The symbiosis between C. etunicatum and wheat tended to increase the total developmental times of S. avenae nymphs under water deficit, but decreased adult lifespans. Irrespective of water conditions or wheat cultivars (Xinong-979 and Chang-6794), this symbiosis tended to cause higher adult weights and fecundities of S. avenae. These findings suggested that inoculation of this fungus could induce some life history trait trade-offs for S. avenae. Inoculation of C. etunicatum caused significant increases in contents of total amino acids in Xinong-979, and contents of some individual amino acids (e.g., glutamine) in both cultivars. This aphid preferred settling on symbiotic plants, with alate individuals attracted to well-watered Xinong-979 from 4 and Chang-6794 from 24 h postrelease. Increased phloem feeding and reduced pathway phase time for S. avenae were found in symbiotic plants. The fungus C. etunicatum also significantly enhanced wheat growth, especially under water deficit, and increased contents of nonessential and essential amino acids in Xinong-979. Our results highlight complex interactions among fungus symbiosis, wheat cultivars, and water conditions, emphasizing the potential to boost wheat crop resilience in the context of global climate change.
丛枝菌根真菌可以促进植物生长并增强其抗逆性，尤其是在水分亏缺条件下。然而，水分亏缺胁迫下菌根真菌、小麦植株和蚜虫（如麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae，半翅目：蚜科）之间的相互作用仍未得到充分了解。在此，我们研究了明球囊霉Claroideoglomus etunicatum（球囊霉目：明球囊霉科）在小麦上的定殖情况，及其在不同水分条件下对麦长管蚜发育和行为的影响。水分亏缺时，明球囊霉与小麦的共生关系往往会延长麦长管蚜若虫的总发育时间，但会缩短成虫寿命。无论水分条件或小麦品种（西农979和长6794）如何，这种共生关系往往会使麦长管蚜成虫体重增加、繁殖力提高。这些发现表明，接种这种真菌会导致麦长管蚜某些生活史性状的权衡。接种明球囊霉显著提高了西农979中总氨基酸含量，以及两个品种中某些单个氨基酸（如谷氨酰胺）的含量。这种蚜虫更喜欢在共生植物上定居，有翅个体在释放后4小时被充分浇水的西农979吸引，24小时后被长6794吸引。在共生植物中发现麦长管蚜的韧皮部取食增加，路径阶段时间缩短。明球囊霉还显著促进了小麦生长，尤其是在水分亏缺条件下，并增加了西农979中非必需氨基酸和必需氨基酸的含量。我们的研究结果凸显了真菌共生、小麦品种和水分条件之间的复杂相互作用，强调了在全球气候变化背景下提高小麦作物抗逆性的潜力。
