Herbivore ‐induced rice resistance against rice blast mediated by salicylic acid

AbstractIn agro ‐ecosystems, plants are important mediators of interactions between their associated herbivorous insects and microbes, and any change in plants induced by one species may lead to cascading effects on interactions with other species. Often, such effects are regulated by phytohormones such as jasmon ic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). Here, we investigated the tripartite interactions among rice plants, three insect herbivores (Chilo suppressalis,Cnaphalocrocis medinalis orNilaparvata lugens), and the causal agent of rice blast disease, the fungusMagnaporthe oryzae. We found that pre ‐infestation of rice byC. suppressalis orN. lugens but not byC. medinalis conferred resistance toM. oryzae. ForC. suppressalis andN. lugens, insect infestation without fungal inoculation induced the accumulation of both JA and SA in rice leaves. In contrast, infestation byC. medinalis increased JA levels but reduced SA levels. The exogenous application of SA but not of JA conferred resistance againstM. oryzae. These results suggest that pre ‐infestation byC. suppressalis orN. lugens conferred resistance againstM. oryzae by increasing SA accumulation. These findings enhance our understanding of the interactions among rice plant, insects and pathogens, and provide valuable information for developing an ecologically sound strategy for controlling rice blast.

Source: Insect Science - August 23, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Kai ‐Li Zhang, Qing‐Song Liu, Hou‐Xiang Kang, Xiao‐Mei Liu, Xiu‐Ping Chen, Yu‐Fa Peng, Yun‐He Li Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research