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Effects of Fertilization and Fungal and Insect Attack on Systemic Protein Defenses of Austrian Pine

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Abstract

Despite their economic and ecological importance, defense responses of conifers to pests are little understood. In a 3-year experiment, we monitored systemic fungal (Diplodia pinea)- and insect (Neodiprion sertifer)-induced defense protein activities and total soluble proteins in needles and phloem of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) across a soil fertility gradient. In both years, total soluble protein content of foliage and phloem declined with increasing fertility across induction treatments, while defensive protein activities generally increased with increasing fertility. In 2005, total soluble protein content in branch phloem was increased by fungal inoculation of the stem. Peroxidase activity was suppressed in needles by insect defoliation in 2006, while polyphenol oxidase activity was systemically induced in branch phloem by insect attack in 2005. Trypsin inhibitor activities in phloem did not respond to any induction or fertility treatment. Nutritive quality of Austrian pine tissue declined with increasing fertility, while several protein-based defenses simultaneously increased.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Eusondia Arnett, Bryant Chambers, Alejandro Chiriboga, Ilka Gomez, Diane Hartzler, Anuprit Kaur, Cherissa Rainey, Matt Solensky, Duan Wang, and Justin Whitehill for the assistance in the field and in the laboratory and Kurtz Bros for the nursery supplies. The comments by two anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript. Funding was provided by the USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program No. 2004-35302-14667 and by the State and Federal funds appropriated to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, the Ohio State University. These experiments comply with the laws of the USA.

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Author notes

  1. Alieta Eyles

    Present address: Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry, TIAR/University of Tasmania, Private Bag12, Hobart, 7001, Australia

  2. Chris Wallis

    Present address: Ecosystems Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada, V2N 4Z9

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA

    Kathryn Barto, Stephanie Enright & Don Cipollini

  2. Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 201 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Alieta Eyles, Chris Wallis & Pierluigi Bonello

  3. Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University/Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

    Rodrigo Chorbadjian & Daniel A. Herms

  4. Department of Food, Agriculture and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, 108 Agricultural Engineering Building, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

    Robert Hansen

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  1. Kathryn Barto
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Correspondence to Don Cipollini.

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Barto, K., Enright, S., Eyles, A. et al. Effects of Fertilization and Fungal and Insect Attack on Systemic Protein Defenses of Austrian Pine. J Chem Ecol 34, 1392–1400 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-008-9550-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-008-9550-z

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