Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T13:21:15.309Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Application of DL-β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) as a root drench to legumes inhibits the growth and reproduction of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

S. Hodge*
Affiliation:
Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Wye Campus, Ashford, Kent, UK
G.A. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
G. Powell
Affiliation:
Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Wye Campus, Ashford, Kent, UK
*
*Fax: +44 207 5942640 E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

DL-β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) is a non-protein amino acid that is an effective inducer of resistance against a variety of plant pathogens. However, examples of BABA-induced resistance against insect herbivores have not been reported. We applied BABA as a soil drench to legumes and monitored its effects on the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris). On tic bean (Vicia faba var. minor), BABA increased aphid mortality, caused a reduction in the mean relative growth rate of individual insects and lessened the intrinsic rate of population increase (rm). BABA also caused significant reductions in the growth rate of A. pisum on pea (Pisum sativa), broad bean (Vicia faba var. major), runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), red clover (Trifolium pratense) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). No direct toxic effects of BABA against A. pisum were found, and no phytotoxic effects that may have caused a reduction in aphid performance were detected. Possible mechanisms behind this BABA-induced inhibition of aphid performance are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, J.B., van Emden, H.F. (1972) Biological properties of aphids and their host plant relationships. pp. 47104 in van Emden, H.F. (ed.) Aphid technology. London, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Birch, L.C. (1948) The intrinsic rate of natural increase of an insect population. Journal of Animal Ecology 17, 1526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borges, A.A., Cools, H.J., Lucas, J.A. (2003) Menadione sodium bisulphite: a novel plant defence activator which enhances local and systemic resistance to infection by Leptosphaeria maculans in oilseed rape. Plant Pathology 52, 429436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Botha, C.E.J. & Matsiliza, B. (2004) Reduction in transport in wheat (Triticum aestivum) is caused by sustained phloem feeding by the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia). South African Journal of Botany 70, 249254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruce, T.J.A., Martin, J.L., Pickett, J.A., Pye, B.J., Smart, L.E., Wadhams, L.J. (2003) Cis-jasmone treatment induces resistance in wheat plants against the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Pest Management Science 59, 10311036.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caillaud, C.M., Niemeyer, H.M. (1996) Possible involvement of the phloem sealing system in the acceptance of a plant as host by an aphid. Experientia 52, 927931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, Y. (2001) The BABA story of induced resistance. Phytoparasitica 29, 375378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, Y. & Gisi, U. (1994) Systemic translocation of 14C-DL-3-aminobutyric acid in tomato plants in relation to induced resistance against Phytophthora infestans. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 45, 441456.Google Scholar
Cohen, Y., Niderman, T., Mosinger, E. & Fluhr, R. (1994) Beta-aminobutyric acid induces the accumulation of pathogenesis-related proteins in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants and resistance to late blight infection caused by Phytophthora infestans. Plant Physiology 104, 5966.Google Scholar
Cohen, Y., Reuveni, M. & Baider, A. (1999) Local and systemic activity of BABA (DL-3-aminobutyric acid) against Plasmopara viticola in grapevines. European Journal of Plant Pathology 105, 351361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conrath, U., Thulke, O., Katz, V., Schwindling, S. & Kohler, A. (2001) Priming as a mechanism in induced systemic resistance of plants. European Journal of Plant Pathology 107, 113119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conrath, U., Pieterse, C.M.J., Mauch-Mani, B. (2002) Priming in plant-pathogen interactions. Trends in Plant Science 7, 210216.Google Scholar
Fidantsef, A.L., Stout, M.J., Thaler, J.S., Duffey, S.S., Bostock, R.M. (1999) Signal interactions in pathogen and insect attack: expression of lipoxygenase, proteinase inhibitor II, and pathogenesis-related protein P4 in the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 54, 97114.Google Scholar
Forslund, K., Pettersson, J., Bryngelsson, T. & Jonsson, L. (2000) Aphid infestation induces PR proteins differently in barley susceptible or resistant to the birdcherry–oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi). Physiologia Plantarum 110, 496502.Google Scholar
Hwang, B.K., Sunwoo, J.Y., Kim, Y.J., Kim, B.S. (1997) Accumulation of β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase isoforms, and salicylic acid in the DL-β-amino- n -butyric acid induced resistance response of pepper stems to Phytophthora capsici. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 51, 305322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jakab, G., Cottier, V., Touquin, V., Rigoli, G., Zimmerli, L., Metraux, J.P., Mauch-Mani, B. (2001) Beta-aminobutyric acid-induced resistance in plants. European Journal of Plant Pathology 107, 2937.Google Scholar
Kaloshian, I. (2004) Gene-for-gene disease resistance: bridging insect pest and pathogen defense. Journal of Chemical Ecology 30, 24192438.Google Scholar
Karban, R., Baldwin, I.T. (1997) Induced responses to herbivory. 319 pp. London, University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karban, R., Myers, J.H. (1989) Induced plant responses to herbivory. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 20, 331348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katz, V.A., Thulke, O.U. & Conrath, U. (1998) A benzothiadiazole primes parsley cells for augmented elicitation of defense responses. Plant Physiology 117, 13331339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klingler, J., Powell, G., Thompson, G.A. & Isaacs, R. (1998) Phloem specific aphid resistance in Cucumis melo line AR 5: effects on feeding behaviour and performance of Aphis gossypii. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 86, 7988.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martinez, O., Xie, Q. & Kaloshian, I. (2003) Aphid-induced defence responses in Mi-1 mediated compatible and incompatible tomato interactions. Molecular Plant–Microbe Interactions 16, 699708.Google Scholar
Moran, P.J., Thompson, G.A. (2001) Molecular responses to aphid feeding in Arabidopsis in relation to plant defense pathways. Plant Physiology 125, 10741085.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oka, Y. & Cohen, Y. (2001) Induced resistance to cyst and root-knot nematodes in cereals by DL-beta-amino-n-butyric acid. European Journal of Plant Pathology 107, 219227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oka, Y., Cohen, Y. & Spiegel, Y. (1999) Local and systemic induced resistance to the root-knot nematode in tomato by DL-beta-amino-n-butyric acid. Phytopathology 89, 11381143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porat, R., Vinokur, V., Weiss, B., Cohen, L., Daus, A., Goldschmidt, E.E. & Droby, S. (2003) Induction of resistance to Penicillium digitatum in grapefruit by beta-aminobutyric acid. European Journal of Plant Pathology 109, 901907.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powell, G. & Hardie, J. (2001) A potent, morph-specific parturition stimulant in the overwintering host plant of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae. Physiological Entomology 26, 194201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmieden, V. & Betz, H. (1995) Pharmacology of the inhibitory glycine receptor: agonist and antagonist actions of amino acids and piperidine carboxylic acid compounds. Molecular Pharmacology 48, 919927.Google ScholarPubMed
Shinoda, T. (1993) Callose reaction induced in melon leaves by feeding of melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, as possible aphid-resistant factor. Japanese Journal of Applied Entomology and Zoology 37, 145152.Google Scholar
Silue, D., Pajot, E. & Cohen, Y. (2002) Induction of resistance to downy mildew (Peronospora parasitica) in cauliflower by DL-beta-amino-n-butanoic acid (BABA). Plant Pathology 51, 97102.Google Scholar
Tatchell, G.M. (1989) An estimate of the potential economic losses to some crops due to aphids in Britain. Crop Protection 8, 2529.Google Scholar
Tjallingii, W.F. (1994) Sieve element acceptance by aphids. European Journal of Entomology 91, 4752.Google Scholar
Tjallingii, W.F., Hogen Esch, T. (1993) Fine structure of aphid stylet routes in plant tissues in correlation with EPG signals. Physiological Entomology 18, 317328.Google Scholar
Ton, J., Mauch-Mani, B. (2004) Beta-amino butyric acid induced resistance against necrotrophic pathogens is based on ABA-dependent priming for callose. Plant Journal 38, 119130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ton, J., Jakab, G., Toquin, V., Flors, V., Lavicoli, A., Maeder, M.N., Metraux, J.-P., Mauch-Mani, B. (2005) Dissecting the β-aminobutyric acid-induced priming phenomenon in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 17, 987999.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tosi, L. & Zazzerini, A. (2000) Interactions between Plasmopara helianthi, Glomus mosseae and two plant activators in sunflower plants. European Journal of Plant Pathology 106, 735744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyatt, I.J., White, P.F (1977) Simple estimation of intrinsic increase rates for aphids and tetranychid mites. Journal of Applied Ecology 14, 757766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xie, B.Y., Li, H.X., Feng, L.X. (2002) Induction of resistance to Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants by DL-beta-amino- n -butyric acid. Acta Horticulturae Sinica 29, 137140.Google Scholar
Zimmerli, L., Metraux, J.P., Mauch-Mani, B. (2001) Beta-aminobutyric acid-induced protection of Arabidopsis against the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Plant Physiology 126, 517523.Google Scholar