Entomopathogenic Nematode Species Vary in Their Behavior and Virulence in Response to Cardiac Glycosides Within and Around Insect Hosts.

ABSTRACT: Plants produce defensive toxins to deter herbivores. In response, some specialized herbivores evolved resistance and even the capacity to sequester toxins, affecting interactions at higher trophic levels. Here, we test the hypothesis that potential natural enemies of specialized herbivores are differentially affected by plant toxins depending on their level of adaptation to the plant-herbivore system. We focus on toxic cardiac glycosides (CGs) from milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), which inhibit animal Na⁺/K⁺-ATPases, and two CG-resistant insects, the large milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus and a CRISPR-edited Drosophila melanogaster. Both have CG-resistant Na⁺/K⁺-ATPases through a set of key amino acid substitutions, which facilitate CG sequestration.

SUBMITTER: Achi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11772503 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature