The plant hopper Issus coleoptratus can detoxify phloem sap saponins including the degradation of the terpene core

Issus coleoptratus is a small plant hopper which mainly feeds on the phloem sap from ivy. Although all parts of ivy are poisonous as the plant contains saponins, especially hederasaponins, I. coleoptratus can cope with the poison. In contrast to other animals like the stick insect Carausius morosus...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology open 2016-03, Vol.5 (3), p.252-255
Main Authors: Himmelsbach, Markus, Weth, Agnes, Böhme, Christine, Schwarz, Martin, Bräunig, Peter, Baumgartner, Werner
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Degradation
Fulgoromorpha
Genine
Hedera
Insects
Ivy
Mass spectroscopy
Midgut
Phloem
Salivary gland
Salivary glands
Saponins
Terpene
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Issus coleoptratus is a small plant hopper which mainly feeds on the phloem sap from ivy. Although all parts of ivy are poisonous as the plant contains saponins, especially hederasaponins, I. coleoptratus can cope with the poison. In contrast to other animals like the stick insect Carausius morosus which accumulates saponins in its body, I. coleoptratus can degrade and disintegrate not only the saponins but even the genines, i.e. the triterpene core of the substances. This is perhaps made possible by a specialised midgut and/or the salivary glands. When the glands and the gut are dissected and added to saponins in solution, the saponins, including the genines, are degraded ex vivo.
ISSN:2046-6390
2046-6390
DOI:10.1242/bio.016311