Semiochemicals and odorant receptors underlying potato cultivar susceptibility and resistance to potato tuber moth.
Chen R, Hu W, Hu Q, Yan J, Yin J
Crop Improvement
PubMedUnderstanding exactly which potato smells attract destructive moths could help breeders develop pest-resistant potato varieties — meaning fewer pesticides on the food you eat.
Potatoes give off invisible chemical signals, and potato tuber moths have specialized smell receptors that can detect these signals to find and infest potato plants. Scientists figured out which specific chemicals each potato variety releases and which moth smell receptors respond to them. This explains why some potato varieties get attacked more than others — they're essentially broadcasting a stronger or more attractive scent to the moths.
Key Findings
Specific volatile semiochemicals (plant-released scent compounds) were identified that differ between susceptible and resistant potato cultivars, directly influencing moth attraction levels.
Particular odorant receptors in the potato tuber moth were matched to these potato-derived chemicals, establishing a molecular link between plant scent and pest host-finding behavior.
Resistant potato varieties were associated with a chemical scent profile that is less detectable or less attractive to moth odorant receptors compared to susceptible cultivars.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers identified the specific scent chemicals that potatoes release and the smell receptors in potato tuber moths that detect them, revealing why some potato varieties are more vulnerable to pest attack than others.
Abstract Preview
Infestation of potato by the potato tuber moth (
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