Fusarium phytopathogens as insect mutualists

As vectors of numerous plant pathogens, herbivorous insects play a key role in the epidemiology of plant disease. But how phytopathogens impact the metabolism, physiology, and fitness of their insect vectors is often unexplored within these tripartite interactions. Here, we examine the diverse symbi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS pathogens 2023-07, Vol.19 (7), p.e1011497-e1011497
Main Authors: Berasategui, Aileen, Jagdale, Shounak, Salem, Hassan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Ascomycota
Biology and Life Sciences
Cultivars
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Epidemiology
Flowers & plants
Fungi
Fusarium
Fusarium - genetics
Genomes
Health aspects
Host plants
Insecta - microbiology
Insects
Localization
Medicine and Health Sciences
Metabolism
Metabolites
Natural enemies
Nutrition
Pathogens
Pearls
Physiological aspects
Physiology
Plant diseases
Plants - microbiology
Propagation
Sugarcane
Symbiosis
Vectors
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Summary:As vectors of numerous plant pathogens, herbivorous insects play a key role in the epidemiology of plant disease. But how phytopathogens impact the metabolism, physiology, and fitness of their insect vectors is often unexplored within these tripartite interactions. Here, we examine the diverse symbioses forged between insects and members of the ascomycete fungal genus Fusarium. While Fusarium features numerous plant pathogens that are causal to diseases such as wilts and rots, many of these microbes also engage in stable mutualisms across several insect clades. Matching a diversity in symbiont localization and transmission routes, we highlight the various roles fusaria fulfill towards their insect hosts, from upgrading their nutritional physiology to providing defense against natural enemies. But as the insect partner is consistently herbivorous, we emphasize the convergent benefit Fusarium derives in exchange: propagation to a novel host plant. Collectively, we point to the synergy arising between a phytopathogen and its insect vector, and the consequences inflicted on their shared plant.
ISSN:1553-7374
1553-7366
1553-7374
DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1011497