Rapid and Selective Absorption of Plant Defense Compounds From the Gut of a Sequestering Insect.

ABSTRACT: Many herbivorous insects exploit defense compounds produced by their host plants for protection against predators. Ingested plant defense compounds are absorbed via the gut epithelium and stored in the body, a physiological process that is currently not well understood. Here, we investigated the absorption of plant defense compounds from the gut in the horseradish flea beetle, Phyllotreta armoraciae, a specialist herbivore known to selectively sequester glucosinolates from its brassicaceous host plants. Feeding experiments using a mixture of glucosinolates and other glucosides not found in the host plants showed a rapid and selective uptake of glucosinolates in adult beetles. In addition, we provide evidence that this uptake mainly takes place in the foregut, whereas the endo

SUBMITTER: Yang ZL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8928188 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature