Biology subjects

Pingault, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Pingault, L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Pharmacological modulation of ATP-binding cassette transporters alters feeding phases of the sugarcane aphid on susceptible sorghum

BACKGROUND: Aphids damage crops through sustained feeding and by rapid transmission of plant viruses, processes that are not effectively prevented by conventional insecticides. The sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari), an invasive pest of sorghum in the United States, can inoculate non-persistent viruses within minutes of probing. Disrupting feeding phases represents an alternative strategy in plant disease and integrated pest management. ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) influence insect physiological performance, but their role in regulating aphid feeding behavior relevant to crop damage and virus transmission remains unknown. This study evaluated whether ABC transporter activity alters feeding phases of M. sacchari on sorghum. RESULTS: Aphids exposed to ABC transporter modulators via artificial diet and monitored using Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) recordings showed significant reductions in salivation in E1 phase, compared with controls (P < 0.05) and an increased duration in xylem phase when treated with elacridar, an ABC transporter inhibitor. Aphids treated with dexamethasone, an ABC transporter activator, exhibited increased time spent in pathway phase compared to the controls. ATPase assays also showed significant variations in modulator-treated samples compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that transporter modulators alter feeding behaviors which might lead to reduced crop damage/virus transmission, including pathway activities, salivation, and xylem ingestion. This study opens the path to identify ABC transporters as regulators of feeding phases, and to advance the understanding of aphid-plant interactions. This new knowledge will support the development of feeding-based pest management strategies to reduce crop damage and virus transmission.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Plant responses to wheat curl mites and wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV): first evidence of virus tolerance in wheat

Wheat curl mites (WCM) are arthropod pests that pose significant threats to wheat crops by causing direct damage by feeding, and transmitting viruses such as Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV), Triticum Mosaic Virus (TriMV), and High Plains Wheat Mosaic Virus (HPWMoV), leading to substantial losses in wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Over three years of field screening, we found that the cultivar Hatcher consistently produced higher yields under high WSMV disease pressure, outperforming Mace and TAM112, which carry the Wsm1 gene and a QTL for curl mite resistance, respectively, indicating tolerance. To investigate the mechanisms underlying the tolerance phenotype in Hatcher, we compared its response to WCM and WSMV infection with a susceptible genotype, CO15D173R. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a nuanced interplay between plant defense and growth in Hatcher, with upregulation of genes related to jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and abscisic acid (ABA) pathways, indicating a coordinated defense response. The activation of lignin biosynthesis genes points to a potential role of cell wall strengthening in deterring WCM and WSMV. Additionally, the regulation of genes involved in growth-related hormonal pathways such as gibberellic acid (GA), and brassinosteroids (BR) highlights Hatchers ability to maintain growth disease pressure. Our findings provide insight into the intricate network of phytohormones, growth-defense trade-offs, and cell wall modifications contributing to Hatchers tolerance to WCM and WSMV. This knowledge can inform the development of tolerant wheat varieties and enhance integrated pest management strategies, ultimately safeguarding wheat production.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

DIRT/μ - Automated extraction of root hair traits using combinatorial optimization

Similar to any microscopic appendages, such as cilia or antennae, phenotyping of root hairs has been a challenge due to their complex intersecting arrangements in two-dimensional (2D) images and the technical limitations of automated measurements. Digital Imaging of Root Traits at Microscale (DIRT/) addresses this issue by computationally resolving intersections and extracting individual root hairs from 2D microscopy images. This solution enables automatic and precise trait measurements of individual root hairs. DIRT/ rigorously defines a set of rules to resolve intersecting root hairs and minimizes a newly designed cost function to combinatorically identify each root hair in the microscopy image. As a result, DIRT/ accurately measures traits such as root hair length (RHL) distribution and root hair density (RHD), which are impractical for manual assessment. We tested DIRT/ on three datasets to validate its performance and showcase potential applications. By measuring root hair traits in a fraction of the time manual methods require, DIRT/ eliminates subjective biases from manual measurements. Automating individual root hair extraction accelerates phenotyping and quantifies trait variability within and among plants, creating new possibilities to characterize root hair function and their underlying genetics.

plant biology↗