A specialist flea beetle manipulates and tolerates the activated chemical defense in its host plant
T. Sporer, J. Koernig, N. Wielsch, S. Gebauer-Jung, M. Reichelt, Y. Hupfer, F. Beran
This study investigates how the flea beetle Phyllotreta armoraciae sequesters glucosinolates from its host plant and tolerates their hydrolysis, showing that plant myrosinases reduce sequestration but beetles avoid gut hydrolysis through absorption and inactivation of myrosinases.
bioRxiv · Mar 12, 2021Physiology