Sugar transporters enable a leaf beetle to accumulate plant defense compounds
Sugar transporters enable a leaf beetle to accumulate plant defense compounds
Abstract Many herbivorous insects selectively accumulate plant toxins for defense against predators; however, little is known about the transport processes that enable insects to absorb and store defense compounds in the body. Here, we investigate how a specialist herbivore, the horseradish flea beetle, accumulates high amounts of glucosinolate defense compounds in the hemolymph. Using phylogenetic analyses of coleopteran membrane transporters of the major facilitator superfamily, we identified a clade of glucosinolate-specific transporters (PaGTRs) belonging to the sugar porter family. PaGTR expression was predominantly detected in the excretory system, the Malpighian tubules. Silencing of PaGTRs led to elevated glucosinolate excretion, significantly reducing the levels of sequestered glucosinolates in beetles. This suggests that PaGTRs reabsorb glucosinolates from the Malpighian tubule lumen to prevent their loss by excretion. Ramsay assays performed with dissected Malpighian tubules confirmed a selective retention of glucosinolates. Thus, the selective accumulation of plant defense compounds in herbivorous insects can depend on the ability to prevent excretion.
H?nniger Sabine、Reichelt Michael、Crocoll Christoph、Beran Franziska、Yang Zhi-Ling、Seitz Fabian、Nour-Eldin Hussam Hassan、Vogel Heiko
Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyDepartment of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyDynaMo Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of CopenhagenResearch Group Sequestration and Detoxification in Insects, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyResearch Group Sequestration and Detoxification in Insects, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyResearch Group Sequestration and Detoxification in Insects, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyDynaMo Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of CopenhagenDepartment of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
昆虫学生理学生物化学
H?nniger Sabine,Reichelt Michael,Crocoll Christoph,Beran Franziska,Yang Zhi-Ling,Seitz Fabian,Nour-Eldin Hussam Hassan,Vogel Heiko.Sugar transporters enable a leaf beetle to accumulate plant defense compounds[EB/OL].(2025-03-28)[2025-08-02].https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.03.433712.点此复制
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