Differential activation of defense responses in cucumbers by adapted versus non-adapted lineages of the cotton-melon aphid

Abstract

The cotton-melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is a polyphagous pest damaging plants across over 100 families. It has multiple host-specialized lineages, including one colonizing Malvaceae (MA) and one colonizing Cucurbitaceae (CU). The mechanisms underlying these host relationships remain unknown. Here, we compared defensive compounds, gene expressions and aphid susceptibility of cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) that were infested with both lineages for up to 14 days.