A new galling insect model enhances photosynthetic activity in an obligate holoparasitic plant.

ABSTRACT: Insect-induced galls are microhabitats distinct from the outer environment that support inhabitants by providing improved nutrients, defence against enemies, and other unique features. It is intriguing as to how insects reprogram and modify plant morphogenesis. Because most of the gall systems are formed on trees, it is difficult to maintain them in laboratories and to comprehend the mechanisms operative in them through experimental manipulations. Herein, we propose a new model insect, Smicronyx madaranus, for studying the mechanisms of gall formation. This weevil forms spherical galls on the shoots of Cuscuta campestris, an obligate parasitic plant. We established a stable system for breeding and maintaining this ecologically intriguing insect in the laboratory, and succeeded in detailed

SUBMITTER: Murakami R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8217554 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature