A Complex Nutrient Exchange Between a Gall-Forming Aphid and Its Plant Host.

ABSTRACT: It has been a long-standing question as to whether the interaction between gall-forming insects and their host plants is merely parasitic or whether it may also benefit the host. On its host Rhus chinensis, the aphid Schlechtendalia chinensis induces the formation of closed galls, referred to as horned galls. Typically, mature aphid populations comprise thousands of individuals, which is sufficient to cause the accumulation of high CO₂ levels in galls (on average 8-fold higher and up to 16 times than atmospheric levels). Large aphid populations also excrete significant amounts of honeydew, a waste product high in sugars. Based on ¹³C isotope tracing and genomic analyses, we showed that aphid-derived carbon found in CO₂ and honeydew was recycle

SUBMITTER: Chen X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7358401 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature