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Research article2020Peer reviewedOpen access

Root-associated entomopathogenic fungi manipulate host plants to attract herbivorous insects

Cotes, Belen; Thoming, Gunda; Amaya-Gomez, Carol V.; Novak, Ondrej; Nansen, Christian

Abstract

Root-associated entomopathogenic fungi (R-AEF) indirectly influence herbivorous insect performance. However, host plant-R-AEF interactions and R-AEF as biological control agents have been studied independently and without much attention to the potential synergy between these functional traits. In this study, we evaluated behavioral responses of cabbage root flies [Delia radicum L. (Diptera: Anthomyiidae)] to a host plant (white cabbage cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba cv. Castello L.) with and without the R-AEF Metarhizium brunneum (Petch). We performed experiments on leaf reflectance, phytohormonal composition and host plant location behavior (behavioral processes that contribute to locating and selecting an adequate host plant in the environment). Compared to control host plants, R-AEF inoculation caused, on one hand, a decrease in reflectance of host plant leaves in the near-infrared portion of the radiometric spectrum and, on the other, an increase in the production of jasmonic, (+)-7-iso-jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine and salicylic acid in certain parts of the host plant. Under both greenhouse and field settings, landing and oviposition by cabbage root fly females were positively affected by R-AEF inoculation of host plants. The fungal-induced change in leaf reflectance may have altered visual cues used by the cabbage root flies in their host plant selection. This is the first study providing evidence for the hypothesis that R-AEF manipulate the suitability of their host plant to attract herbivorous insects.

Published in

Scientific Reports
2020, Volume: 10, number: 1, article number: 22424Publisher: NATURE RESEARCH

      SLU Authors

        Associated SLU-program

        SLU Plant Protection Network

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Microbiology
        Botany

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80123-5

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/110454