Aphid Effectors Suppress Plant Immunity

Introduction

• Aphids: Small insects with specialized mouthparts and effector proteins.
• Peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae): A generalist aphid capable of feeding on multiple plant species and transmitting numerous pathogens.

Key Research Findings

• Effector Proteins: Aphid effectors modulate plant immune responses, aiding in aphid survival.
• Cathepsins B (CathB): Found in the oral secretions of M. persicae; crucial in facilitating aphid survival by modulating plant immunity.
• Localization and Function:
  • CathB localize to processing bodies (p-bodies) within the plant cells.
  • These proteins recruit key immune regulators EDS1, PAD4, and ADR1 to these p-bodies.
  • The recruitment suppresses plant defenses, enhancing aphid survival.

Plant Defense Mechanism

• Acd28.9 Protein: A plant protein from the Hsp20 family.
  • Counteracts the activity of CathB.
  • Contributes to plant resistance against aphid infestation.
  • Highlights a novel plant resistance mechanism.

Significance

• P-Bodies: Identified as playing a novel role in plant immunity.
• Plant Resistance: Uncovers an unexpected plant resistance mechanism to control aphid infestation.

Conclusion

• The study provides insights into how aphid effectors manipulate plant defenses and how plants can counteract these effects.
• Highlights the importance of understanding plant-aphid interactions for developing resistant crop varieties.

Authors and Contributions

• Authors: Qun Liu, Anna C. M. Neefjes, Roksolana Kobylinska, Sam T. Mugford, Mar Marzo, James Canham, Mariana Schuster, Renier A. L. van der Hoorn, Yazhou Chen, Saskia A. Hogenhout.
• Affiliations include the John Innes Centre, University of Oxford, and Huazhong Agricultural University.

Competing Interest

• Authors declared no competing interests.

Licensing

• The preprint is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.