Complex patterns in tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases underpin the domestication of tomato.

A frequent hypothesis explaining the high susceptibility of many crops to pests and diseases is that, in the process of domestication, crops have lost defensive genes and traits against pests and diseases. Ecological theory predicts trade-offs whereby resistance and tolerance go at the cost of each other. We used wild relatives, early domesticated varieties, traditional local landraces and cultivars of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) to test whether resistance and tolerance trade-offs were phylogenetically structured or varied according to degree of domestication. We exposed tomato genotypes to the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae, the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis, the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and two common insect-transmitted plant viruses, and reconstructed their phylogenetic relationships using Genotyping-by-Sequencing. We found differences in the performance and effect of pest and diseases but such differences were not related with domestication degree nor genetic relatedness, which probably underlie a complex genetic basis for resistance and indicate that resistance traits appeared at different stages and in unrelated genetic lineages. Still, wild and early domesticated accessions showed greater resistance to aphids and tolerance to caterpillars, nematodes and diseases than modern cultivars. Our findings help to understand how domestication affects plant-pest interactions and underline the importance of tolerance in crop breeding.

Transcriptome analysis of aphids exposed to glandular trichomes in tomato reveals stress and starvation related responses.

Understanding the responses of insect herbivores to plant chemical defences is pivotal for the management of crops and pests. However, the mechanisms of interaction are not entirely understood. In this study, we compared the whole transcriptome gene expression of the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae grown on two different varieties of tomato that differ in their inducible chemical defences. We used two isogenic lines of tomato with a shared genetic background that only differ in the presence of type IV glandular trichomes and their associated acylsucrose excretions. This works also reports a de novo transcriptome of the aphid M. euphorbiae. Subsequently, we identified a unique and distinct gene expression profile for the first time corresponding to aphid´s exposure to type IV glandular trichomes and acylsugars. The analysis of the aphid transcriptome shows that tomato glandular trichomes and their associated secretions are highly efficient in triggering stress-related responses in the aphid, and demonstrating that their role in plant defence goes beyond the physical impediment of herbivore activity. Some of the differentially expressed genes were associated with carbohydrate, lipid and xenobiotic metabolisms, immune system, oxidative stress response and hormone biosynthesis pathways. Also, the observed responses are compatible with a starvation syndrome. The transcriptome analysis puts forward a wide range of genes involved in the synthesis and regulation of detoxification enzymes that reveal important underlying mechanisms in the interaction of the aphid with its host plant and provides a valuable genomic resource for future study of biological processes at the molecular level using this aphid.

Characterization of the detrimental effects of type IV glandular trichomes on the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae in tomato.

BACKGROUND: Glandular trichomes are essential in plants' defence against pests however, the mechanisms of action are not completely understood. While there is considerable evidence of feeding and movement impairment by trichomes, the effect on other traits is less clear. We combined laboratory and greenhouse experiments with molecular analysis to understand how glandular trichomes affect the behavior, population growth, and the expression of biomarkers involved in detoxification, primary metabolism, and developmental pathways of the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae. We used two isogenic tomato lines that differ in the presence of type IV glandular trichomes and production of acylsucroses; i.e.,Solanum lycopersicum cv. 'Moneymaker' and an introgressed line from Solanum pimpinellifolium (with trichomes type IV). RESULTS: Type IV glandular trichomes affected host selection and aphid proliferation with aphids avoiding, and showing impaired multiplication on the genotype with trichomes. The exposure to type IV glandular trichomes resulted in the overexpression of detoxication markers (i.e., Hsp70, Hsp17, Hsp10); the repression of the energetic metabolism (GAPDH), and the activation of the ecdysone pathway; all these, underlying the key adaptations and metabolic trade-offs in aphids exposed to glandular trichomes. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the detrimental effect of glandular trichomes (type IV) on the aphid and put forward their mode of action. Given the prevalence of glandular trichomes in wild and cultivated Solanaceae; and of the investigated molecular biomarkers in insects in general, our results provide relevant mechanisms to understand the effect of trichomes not only on herbivorous insects but also on other trophic levels.