Consequences of squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma) domestication for plant defence and herbivore interactions.

ABSTRACT:

Main conclusion

Cucurbita argyrosperma domestication affected plant defence by downregulating the cucurbitacin synthesis-associated genes. However, tissue-specific suppression of defences made the cultivars less attractive to co-evolved herbivores Diabrotica balteata and Acalymma spp. Plant domestication reduces the levels of defensive compounds, increasing susceptibility to insects. In squash, the reduction of cucurbitacins has independently occurred several times during domestication. The mechanisms underlying these changes and their consequences for insect herbivores remain unknown. We investigated how Cucurbita argyrosperma domestication has affected plant chemical defence and the interactions with two herbivores, the generalist Diabrotica balteata and the specialist Acalymma s

SUBMITTER: Jaccard C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10151309 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature