Co-evolution of genes for specification in arthropod-plant interactions: A bioinformatic analysis in plant and arthropod genomes

Abstract

Plants and arthropods are organisms that continuously interact in natural ecosystems. These relations provide them with reciprocal benefits. Several arthropods species protect plants and take active part in plant pollination. Likewise, plants provide shelter, oviposition sites and food to arthropods. However, arthropods might also act as plant pests and be extremely harmful to plants. During evolution, plants have developed sophisticated defence mechanisms to avoid pest damage and arthropod pests have varied their mechanism of attack to overcome plant defences. Then, arthropod-plant interaction is a highly dynamic system, subjected to endless variation. A diagram of plant-herbivorous interactions is shown in Fig. 1.1. When arthropods attack a plant (1), the response of the plant is a consequence of the perception of herbivory associated molecular patterns (HAMPs) (Felton and Tumlinson 2008; Mithofer and Boland 2008; Wu and Baldwin 2009). HAMPs can be classified into two categories: (i) chemical elicitors derived from herbivore oral secretions and oviposition fluids; and (ii) those that are originated from the specific patterns of wounding. Although chemical and mechanical stimuli lead to tissue damage, plants respond differentially to both stresses. Attacked plants have several different defence levels (2). Defences include physical barriers such as cuticles, trichomes and thorns, a battery of compounds with toxic, repellent or anti-digestive effects on arthropod pests, and the emission of volatile compounds to attract the predators of arthropod pests (Heil 2008; Unsicker et al. 2009).