| Title: | Short-term exposure to silicon rapidly enhances plant resistance to herbivory |
| Author(s): | Waterman JM; Cibils-Stewart X; Cazzonelli CI; Hartley SE; Johnson SN; |
| Address: | "Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales, 2751, Australia. Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA), La Estanzuela Research Station, Ruta 50, Km. 11, Colonia, Uruguay. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1939-9170 (Electronic) 0012-9658 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Silicon (Si) can adversely affect insect herbivores, particularly in plants that evolved the ability to accumulate large quantities of Si. Very rapid herbivore-induced accumulation of Si has recently been demonstrated, but the level of protection against herbivory this affords plants remains unknown. Brachypodium distachyon, a model Si hyperaccumulating grass, was exposed to the chewing herbivore, Helicoverpa armigera, and grown under three conditions: supplied Si over 34 d (+Si), not supplied Si (-Si), or supplied Si once herbivory began (-Si --> +Si). We evaluated the effectiveness of each Si treatment at reducing herbivore performance and measured Si-based defenses and phenolics (another form of defense often reduced by Si). Although Si concentrations remained lower, within 72 h of exposure to Si, -Si --> +Si plants were as resistant to herbivory as +Si plants. Both +Si and -Si --> +Si treatments reduced herbivore damage and growth, and increased mandible wear compared to -Si. After 6 h, herbivory increased filled Si cell density in -Si --> +Si plants, and within 24 h, -Si --> +Si plants reached similar filled Si cell densities to +Si plants, although decreased phenolics only occurred in +Si plants. We demonstrate that plants with short-term Si exposure can rapidly accumulate Si-based antiherbivore defenses as effectively as plants with long-term exposure" |
| Keywords: | *Herbivory Plant Defense Against Herbivory *Silicon/pharmacology Helicoverpa armigera herbivory plant defense silica cells silicon; |
| Notes: | "MedlineWaterman, Jamie M Cibils-Stewart, Ximena Cazzonelli, Christopher I Hartley, Susan E Johnson, Scott N eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2021/06/18 Ecology. 2021 Sep; 102(9):e03438. doi: 10.1002/ecy.3438. Epub 2021 Jul 26" |
