Interaction of the causal agent of apricot bud gall Acalitus phloeocoptes (Nalepa) with apricot: Implications in infested tissues

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 2;16(9):e0250678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250678. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Apricot bud gall mite, Acalitus phloeocoptes (Nalepa), is a destructive arthropod pest that causes significant economic losses to apricot trees worldwide. The current study explores the ways to understand the mode of dispersal of A. phloeocoptes, the development and ultrastructure of apricot bud gall, and the role of phytohormones in the formation of the apricot bud galls. The results demonstrated that the starch granules in the bud axon were extended at the onset of the attack. During the later stages of the attack, the cytoplasm was found to deteriorate in infected tissues. Furthermore, we have observed that the accumulation of large amounts of cytokinin (zeatin, ZT) and auxin (indoleacetic acid, IAA) led to rapid bud proliferation during rapid growth period, while abscisic acid (ABA) controls the development of gall buds and plays a vital role in gall bud maturity. The reduction of gibberellic acid (GA3) content led to rapid lignification at the later phase of bud development. Overall, our results have revealed that the mechanism underlying the interaction of apricot bud gall with its parasite and have provided reliable information for designing valuable Apricot breeding programs. This study will be quite useful for pest management and will provide a comprehensive evaluation of ecology-based cost-effective control, life history and demographic parameters of A. phloeocoptes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abscisic Acid / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cytokinins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gibberellins / metabolism
  • Host-Parasite Interactions
  • Indoleacetic Acids / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mites / pathogenicity*
  • Plant Breeding
  • Plant Growth Regulators / metabolism*
  • Prunus armeniaca / parasitology*
  • Prunus armeniaca / physiology
  • Starch / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cytokinins
  • Gibberellins
  • Indoleacetic Acids
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Abscisic Acid
  • Starch
  • gibberellic acid

Grants and funding

The National Key R&D Program of China (project 2016YFD0201100), and the Modern Fruit Industry Technology System of Gansu Province (GARS-SG-2). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.