The role of protein effectors in plant-aphid interactions

Aphid salivary proteins, which are injected into the phloem sieve elements during feeding, play a central role in plant-aphid interactions. Among the dozens of known salivary proteins, many have no homology to proteins from other organisms. These aphid-specific proteins likely have evolved as effectors that inhibit plant defenses, prevent phloem sieve-element occlusion, and otherwise promote the unique phloem feeding style. However, aphid salivary proteins also are recognized by plants to mount defense responses and are likely a major factor in limiting the host range of particular aphid species and biotypes. Newly developed research tools provide excellent opportunities for analyzing the mostly unknown functions of aphid salivary proteins and elucidating their contribution to the complex interactions between aphids and their host plants.