Molecular Studies of Plant-Insect Interactions

Plants attacked by insects develop an array of inducible defenses aimed at slowing the growth or development of the aggressor. We use genomics tools to monitor transcriptional changes in Arabidopsis after challenge with specialist (Pieris brassicae) or generalist (Spodoptera littoralis) leaf-chewing insects. Our research is mainly focused on two projects :

1) We want to know what are the insect-derived elicitors that trigger transcriptional reprogramming, which signals are involved in the transduction events and which transcription factors control defense gene induction after insect attack. The aim of this project to identify the genes that contribute to the plant resistance to herbivores.

2) Insect eggs deposited on a leaf represent a future threat as larvae hatching from the egg will ultimately feed on the plant. Eggs laid by Pieris brassicae modify the expression of hundreds of genes, indicating that plants are capable of detecting the presence of insect eggs and that they respond by activating defense gene expression. We want to identify the nature of egg-derived elicitor(s), the signaling pathways that control the oviposition-induced responses, and the benefits and costs of defense against oviposition.

• Arabidopsis natural variation in insect egg-induced cell death reveals a role for LECTIN RECEPTOR KINASE-I.1
  Groux, Raphael; Stahl, Elia; Gouhier-Darimont, Caroline; Kerdaffrec, Envel; Jimenez-Sandoval, Pedro; Santiago, Julia; Reymond, Philippe
  Plant Physiology  10.1093/plphys/kiaa022  Published: JAN 2021
• Phosphatidylcholines from Pieris brassicae eggs activate an immune response in Arabidopsis
  Stahl, Elia; Brillatz, Theo; Queiroz, Emerson Ferreira; Marcourt, Laurence; Schmiesing, Andre; et al.
  Elife 10.7554/eLife.60293 SEP 28 2020
• Pieris brassicae eggs trigger interplant systemic acquired resistance against a foliar pathogen in Arabidopsis
  Orlovskis, Zigmunds; Reymond, Philippe
  New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.16788 DEC 2020
• Stress- and pathway-specific impacts of impaired jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) catabolism on defense signalling and biotic stress resistance
  Marquis, Valentin; Smirnova, Ekaterina; Poirier, Laure; Zumsteg, Julie; Schweizer, Fabian; Reymond, Philippe; Heitz, Thierry
  Plant Cell And Environment,  DOI: 10.1111/pce.13753  2020
• Molecular Interactions Between Plants and Insect Herbivores
  Erb, M; Reymond, P. Edited by: Merchant SS
  ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY, VOL 70, 70 527-557; 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050718-095910 2019
• The Arabidopsis Lectin Receptor Kinase LecRK-I.8 Is Involved in Insect Egg Perception
  Gouhier-Darimont, C; Stahl, E; Glauser, G; Reymond, P
  FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, 10 10.3389/fpls.2019.00623 MAY 10 2019
• Ligand-receptor co-evolution shaped the jasmonate pathway in land plants
  Monte, I; Ishida, S; Zamarreno, AM; Hamberg, M; Franco-Zorrilla, JM; Garcia-Casado, G; Gouhier-Darimont, C; Reymond, P; Takahashi, K; Garcia-Mina, JM; Nishihama, R; Kohchi, T; Solano, R
  NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, 14 (5):480-+; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-018-0033-4  MAY 2018
• The Cuticle Mutant eca2 Modifies Plant Defense Responses to Biotrophic and Necrotrophic Pathogens and Herbivory Insects
  Blanc, Catherine; Coluccia, Fania; L'Haridon, Floriane; et al.
  MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS 31(3): 344-355  https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-07-17-0181-R MAR 2018
• Plant-arthropod interactions: who is the winner? 
  Stahl, Elia; Hilfiker, Olivier; Reymond, Philippe 
  PLANT JOURNAL, 93 (4): 703-728 FEB 2018 10.1111/tpj.13773 
• An OPR3-independent pathway uses 4,5-didehydrojasmonate for jasmonate synthesis 
  Chini, Andrea; Monte, Isabel; Zamarreno, Angel M.; et al. 
  NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, 14 (2): 171-+ FEB 2018
• …

• Molecular study of plant defense against insects
• Defense pathway crosstalk
• Response to oviposition
• Plant genomics

• Arabidopsis functional genomics
• Analysis of plant and insect-derived signal molecules
• Responses to plant pathogens and aggressors