Herbivorous insects independently evolved salivary effectors to regulate plant immunity by destabilizing the malectin-LRR RLP NtRLP4.
Wang X, Lu JB, Wang YZ, Zhou XH, Chen JP
Plant Signaling
Whiteflies and planthoppers devastate vegetable gardens and rice paddies worldwide, and now we know the exact molecular trick both insects evolved to slip past plant defenses — a blueprint for breeding crops that can finally keep that lock from being picked.
Plants have an immune system that uses sensor proteins to detect when insects are feeding on them, triggering a defensive response. Scientists found that two different pest insects — whiteflies and planthoppers — each separately evolved spit proteins that deactivate the same plant sensor, essentially jamming the plant's alarm system so they can feed undisturbed. Remarkably, these two insects arrived at the same solution independently, like two thieves cracking the same safe without ever meeting.
Key Findings
Whiteflies and planthoppers independently (convergently) evolved distinct salivary effector proteins that both target and destabilize the same plant immune receptor, RLP4.
Plant immune protein RLP4 functions by forming a defensive complex with another protein (SOBIR1), and this complex is specifically what the insect effectors disrupt.
RLP4 is a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein that confers broad resistance against herbivorous insects — making it a high-value target for both pests and future crop breeding.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Two crop pest insects — whiteflies and planthoppers — independently evolved proteins in their saliva that disable the same plant immune sensor (RLP4), allowing them to feed undetected. This convergent evolution reveals a shared vulnerability in plant defenses that insects have exploited through separate molecular strategies.
Abstract Preview
Plants utilize receptor-like proteins and receptor-like kinases (RLPs/RLKs) to perceive and respond to a wide variety of invading pathogens and insect herbivores. While the strategies employed by m...
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