Insect-plant-microbiome interactions
We study aphid probing behaviour and plant defense responses to understand how aphids and plants interact at molecular and organismal level. In addition, we study the role of the microbiome associated with the roots of the plants under attack in insect-plant interactions
“How do plants defend themselves against herbivorous insects? and what role does the microbiome play herein?”
ids are sap-feeding insects that probe into their host plant with flexible stylet mouthparts. They are major vectors of plant viruses and cause economic damage to crops on a worldwide scale. In our group, we study aphid probing behaviour and track plant defense responses in space and time to understand how aphids and plants interact at molecular and organismal level. Aphids not only avoid the induction of plant defenses with their flexible mouthparts, but they also secrete saliva into their host plant to suppress defense responses. When plants are under attack of herbivores, they change root-associated assembly of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. We study these ‘hidden’ players and explore their potential for insect pest management.
Topics
• Plant resistance to aphids
• Host plant manipulation by aphids
• The role of the microbiome in insect-plant interactions
Projects
Beneficial microbes to mitigate drought stress and aphid herbivory in Brassica crops
Beneficial microbes to mitigate drought stress and aphid herbivory in Brassica crops
Microbiome-Assisted resistance against Delia radicum in Cabbage
Assembly of the Delia radicum-associated plant microbiome
Sweet or sour - how the nectar microbiome shapes the pollinator community in brassicaceous plants
Pollination by insects is rewarded with floral nectar. However, as a nutrient-rich and well-protected environment, flower nectar also supports a diverse community of beneficial, commensal, and antagonistic microbes. These microorganisms influence the interaction between the plant and its pollinators, but also with nectar robbers and flower-feeding herbivores by altering the nutritional value and the chemical composition of the nectar. Despite the importance of pollination for seed production of many brassicaceous crops, little is known on the role of the nectar microbiome for plant fitness and seed set in these plants. Besides plant fitness, nectar microbes also impact pollinator health and thereby strongly influence the pollinator community beyond individual plant-pollinator interactions. The central questions of this PhD project are (I) does the microbiome in the flower nectar influences plant-pollinator interactions and plant fitness? (II) can specific microbes be used to improve seed set in brassicaceous crops as well as pollinator health?
Microbe-induced resistance in Capsicum to the green peach aphid
Microbe-induced resistance in Capsicum to the green peach aphid
Microbiomics applied to plant-insect interactions
Microbiomics applied to plant-insect interactions
Versatile Aphids: the role of salivary components and the micriobiome on aphid-plant interactions
Versatile Aphids: the role of salivary components and the micriobiome on aphid-plant interactions
SignAphy – Spatio-temporal dynamics of rapid plant signals in response to aphids
SignAphy – Spatio-temporal dynamics of rapid plant signals in response to aphids
Plant resistance to aphids in wild peppers
Plant resistance to aphids in wild peppers
Evolution of growth-defence-reproduction tradeoffs to multi-herbivore attack in the Brassicaceae plant family
Evolution of growth-defence-reproduction tradeoffs to multi-herbivore attack in the Brassicaceae plant family
Discover the repertoire of plant defence plasticity to multi-herbivore attack and its phylogenetic relationship
Discover the repertoire of plant defence plasticity to multi-herbivore attack and its phylogenetic relationship
Phloem-based resistance to aphids and potyviruses
Phloem-based resistance to aphids and potyviruses
Genetic variation in recruitment of beneficial soil microorganisms to combat insect herbivory in cabbage
Recently, researchers hypothesised that, upon insect attack, plants can attract beneficial soil microorganisms to the rhizosphere which enhance plant defence against insects. Plant breeders are interested in these mechanisms to enhance them in crops like Brassica species (e.g., cauliflower or broccoli). However, little is known about the genetic variation in these plant traits, while such information is essential for plant breeders. Therefore, I will investigate in this research, whether Brassica oleracea varieties exhibit genetic variation in recruiting beneficial soil microorganisms upon herbivore attack, to facilitate selection for enhanced insect resistance in crops. The following steps will be made: first, I will select one accession out of multiple B. oleracea accessions that reduces insect performance most upon herbivore-induced changes in the microbiome. Second, I will investigate the change in microbiome composition in the selected B. oleracea accession after herbivory. Third, by RNA sequencing, I will identify cabbage genes that are involved in enhanced plant defence upon herbivore-induced change in the microbiome. Fourth, I will assess the effect of enhanced plant defence, and specific genes involved in this defence, on the performance of several herbivorous insects. Five major insect pests of Brassica will be included, from different feeding guilds, including aboveground and belowground species. In this research, I expect to find insect-resistance genes that play a role in enhancing plant defence upon insect-induced change in the rhizosphere’s microbiome. The knowledge generated will be valuable to improve breeding insect-resistant crops which can increase food production and make agriculture less dependent on synthetic insecticides.
Roots crying for help: microbiome recruitment of Brassicaceae in response to insect herbivory
Roots crying for help: microbiome recruitment of Brassicaceae in response to insect herbivory
Surviving in a stressful environment: plant mechanisms for soil microorganism recruitment under drought and herbivory stress
Surviving in a stressful environment: plant mechanisms for soil microorganism recruitment under drought and herbivory stress
Genetic architecture of Arabidopsis-stress interactions
Genetic architecture of Arabidopsis-stress interactions
Beneficial microbes to mitigate drought stress and aphid herbivory in Brassica crops
Beneficial microbes to mitigate drought stress and aphid herbivory in Brassica crops
Microbiome-Assisted resistance against Delia radicum in Cabbage
Assembly of the Delia radicum-associated plant microbiome
Sweet or sour - how the nectar microbiome shapes the pollinator community in brassicaceous plants
Pollination by insects is rewarded with floral nectar. However, as a nutrient-rich and well-protected environment, flower nectar also supports a diverse community of beneficial, commensal, and antagonistic microbes. These microorganisms influence the interaction between the plant and its pollinators, but also with nectar robbers and flower-feeding herbivores by altering the nutritional value and the chemical composition of the nectar. Despite the importance of pollination for seed production of many brassicaceous crops, little is known on the role of the nectar microbiome for plant fitness and seed set in these plants. Besides plant fitness, nectar microbes also impact pollinator health and thereby strongly influence the pollinator community beyond individual plant-pollinator interactions. The central questions of this PhD project are (I) does the microbiome in the flower nectar influences plant-pollinator interactions and plant fitness? (II) can specific microbes be used to improve seed set in brassicaceous crops as well as pollinator health?
Microbe-induced resistance in Capsicum to the green peach aphid
Microbe-induced resistance in Capsicum to the green peach aphid
Microbiomics applied to plant-insect interactions
Microbiomics applied to plant-insect interactions
Versatile Aphids: the role of salivary components and the micriobiome on aphid-plant interactions
Versatile Aphids: the role of salivary components and the micriobiome on aphid-plant interactions
SignAphy – Spatio-temporal dynamics of rapid plant signals in response to aphids
SignAphy – Spatio-temporal dynamics of rapid plant signals in response to aphids
Plant resistance to aphids in wild peppers
Plant resistance to aphids in wild peppers
Evolution of growth-defence-reproduction tradeoffs to multi-herbivore attack in the Brassicaceae plant family
Evolution of growth-defence-reproduction tradeoffs to multi-herbivore attack in the Brassicaceae plant family
Discover the repertoire of plant defence plasticity to multi-herbivore attack and its phylogenetic relationship
Discover the repertoire of plant defence plasticity to multi-herbivore attack and its phylogenetic relationship
Phloem-based resistance to aphids and potyviruses
Phloem-based resistance to aphids and potyviruses
Genetic variation in recruitment of beneficial soil microorganisms to combat insect herbivory in cabbage
Recently, researchers hypothesised that, upon insect attack, plants can attract beneficial soil microorganisms to the rhizosphere which enhance plant defence against insects. Plant breeders are interested in these mechanisms to enhance them in crops like Brassica species (e.g., cauliflower or broccoli). However, little is known about the genetic variation in these plant traits, while such information is essential for plant breeders. Therefore, I will investigate in this research, whether Brassica oleracea varieties exhibit genetic variation in recruiting beneficial soil microorganisms upon herbivore attack, to facilitate selection for enhanced insect resistance in crops. The following steps will be made: first, I will select one accession out of multiple B. oleracea accessions that reduces insect performance most upon herbivore-induced changes in the microbiome. Second, I will investigate the change in microbiome composition in the selected B. oleracea accession after herbivory. Third, by RNA sequencing, I will identify cabbage genes that are involved in enhanced plant defence upon herbivore-induced change in the microbiome. Fourth, I will assess the effect of enhanced plant defence, and specific genes involved in this defence, on the performance of several herbivorous insects. Five major insect pests of Brassica will be included, from different feeding guilds, including aboveground and belowground species. In this research, I expect to find insect-resistance genes that play a role in enhancing plant defence upon insect-induced change in the rhizosphere’s microbiome. The knowledge generated will be valuable to improve breeding insect-resistant crops which can increase food production and make agriculture less dependent on synthetic insecticides.
Roots crying for help: microbiome recruitment of Brassicaceae in response to insect herbivory
Roots crying for help: microbiome recruitment of Brassicaceae in response to insect herbivory
Surviving in a stressful environment: plant mechanisms for soil microorganism recruitment under drought and herbivory stress
Surviving in a stressful environment: plant mechanisms for soil microorganism recruitment under drought and herbivory stress
Genetic architecture of Arabidopsis-stress interactions
Genetic architecture of Arabidopsis-stress interactions
Contact us
Research themes
Entomology
Entomology, led by Bregje Wertheim, works on the physiology of insect-plant interactions and the ecology of parasite-host and predator-prey interactions.