Scientists Decode Chemical Defense Against Plant Sap-Sucking Leafhoppers
Published:06 Feb.2022    Source:Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Plants are at the bottom of the food chain and are continually threatened by pathogens and herbivorous insects. But the vast majority of attackers are unable to cause any damage due to a broadly based plant resistance, also known as non-host resistance. This resistance is permanent and effective. However, the mechanisms that lead to this resistance, particularly to herbivorous pests, are largely unknown. 

 
In a new study, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology were able to identify a chemical substance responsible for the resistance of Nicotiana attenuata plants to sucking leafhoppers (Empoasca spp.) and the genes needed for its production. "Our research uncovered how native plants use chemical reprogramming to defend themselves against opportunistic leafhoppers in nature," first author Yuechen Bai says, summarizing the results.