Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026
05:56
Detached Leaf Assays to Simplify Gene Expression Studies in Potato During Infestation by Chewing Insect Manduca sexta
Published on: May 15, 2019
7.2K
Maize Plants Recognize Herbivore-Associated Cues from Caterpillar Frass
Swayamjit Ray1,2,3, Iffa Gaffor2, Flor E Acevedo3,4
1Intercollegiate Graduate Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Journal of Chemical Ecology
|August 27, 2015
Summary
Caterpillar frass, or excrement, triggers distinct plant defense pathways in maize. Frass proteins initially activate wound responses, then later induce pathogen defenses, impacting insect and fungal growth.
Area of Science:
- Plant-insect interactions
- Chemical ecology
- Plant defense mechanisms
Background:
- Caterpillar behaviors like feeding and oviposition induce plant defenses.
- Fall armyworm (FAW) caterpillars deposit significant frass in maize whorls.
- FAW frass contains diverse molecules that can influence plant responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plant defense responses to caterpillar frass, specifically fall armyworm frass.
- To understand how frass components alter maize defense gene expression.
- To compare frass-induced defenses with responses to oral secretions.
Main Methods:
- Application of FAW frass proteins to maize.
- Monitoring of defense gene expression over time.
- Assessing herbivore performance and fungal pathogen growth.
Main Results:
- FAW frass proteins initially induced wound-responsive genes in maize.
- A pathogenesis-related (pr) defense gene was induced with increased time after frass application.
- Frass-induced pathogen defenses correlated with improved herbivore performance and reduced fungal pathogen growth.
Conclusions:
- Plant defense responses to FAW frass differ from those induced by oral secretions.
- Frass proteins can elicit pathogen defenses while simultaneously attenuating herbivore defenses.
- Identification of specific frass proteins could lead to novel pest management strategies.
Related Concept Videos
02:26Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
30.0K
Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
30.0K
02:16Light Acquisition
9.9K
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
9.9K
01:25Cell Signaling in Plants
7.1K
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
7.1K
02:40Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
17.2K
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
17.2K
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
22.3K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
22.3K
01:27C4 Pathway and CAM
50.7K
Most plants use the C3 pathway for carbon fixation. However, some plants, such as sugar cane, corn, and cacti that grow in hot conditions, use alternative pathways to fix carbon and conserve energy loss due to photorespiration. Photorespiration is the process that occurs when the oxygen concentration is high. Under such conditions, the rubisco enzyme in the Calvin cycle binds O2 instead of CO2, which halts photosynthesis and consumes energy.
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
50.7K