Grape Phylloxera Ecology, Geography, Evolution, and Genomics...
Grape phylloxera is a small aphid-like insect with an awesome life history.
Native to North America, this insect is distributed across the continent, including populations isolated by interconnected deserts in the southwest to California and down into Mexico. We are studying across these populations to understand how the insect colonizes grape, what grapes do to tolerate herbivory, and how this interaction evolved (but also persists under managed conditions).
Native to North America, this insect is distributed across the continent, including populations isolated by interconnected deserts in the southwest to California and down into Mexico. We are studying across these populations to understand how the insect colonizes grape, what grapes do to tolerate herbivory, and how this interaction evolved (but also persists under managed conditions).
2023 update:
Previously, we found that during feeding, this insect creates stomata on leaf surfaces typically lacking these morphologies. This is unique among insects and because stomata enable carbon uptake for plants, these morphologies help the insect reduce its effect of resource parasitism on the host.
See Nabity et al. 2013 PNAS
We also annotated a large number of genes in the genome that are active during feeding and lead to the incredible phenotype that feeding induces. These genes evolved faster than other genes in the genome, are largely lineage specific, and allow the insect to overcome plant defense and immune signaling. This is the largest number of putative effectors described for an herbivore, let alone a galling insect.
See Rispe et al. 2020 BMC Biology
Some of these genes encode Secretory Proteins with RING domains, i.e., SPRINGs, that function in regulating protein turnover in both the insect and plant. This is the second known evolution of this type of secretory protein - the first was found in the human parasite that causes Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. This suggests altering proteasomal processes in a host is a strategy shared among parasites.
See Zhao et al. 2019 BMC Genomics
Recently we received funding from the CDFA to explore how phylloxera adapts to rootstocks used in viticulture. As we complete our experiments, we will update this page with results.
See Nabity et al. 2013 PNAS
We also annotated a large number of genes in the genome that are active during feeding and lead to the incredible phenotype that feeding induces. These genes evolved faster than other genes in the genome, are largely lineage specific, and allow the insect to overcome plant defense and immune signaling. This is the largest number of putative effectors described for an herbivore, let alone a galling insect.
See Rispe et al. 2020 BMC Biology
Some of these genes encode Secretory Proteins with RING domains, i.e., SPRINGs, that function in regulating protein turnover in both the insect and plant. This is the second known evolution of this type of secretory protein - the first was found in the human parasite that causes Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. This suggests altering proteasomal processes in a host is a strategy shared among parasites.
See Zhao et al. 2019 BMC Genomics
Recently we received funding from the CDFA to explore how phylloxera adapts to rootstocks used in viticulture. As we complete our experiments, we will update this page with results.
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One version of our adaptation experiment currently underway.
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