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The Role of Silicon in Plant Defences
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The Role of Silicon in Plant Defences

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 21559

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Casey Hall

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University 2753 Richmond, Australia
Interests: plant–insect interactions; silicon; silica; herbivory; secondary metabolites; plant defence; phytohormones; climate change; elevated CO2
Dr. Rebecca Vandegeer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond 2753, Australia
Interests: plant physiology; climate change biology; drought; abiotic stress; photosynthesis; plant–insect interactions; entomology; plant defence; herbivory; silicon; Poaceae
Dr. Scott Johnson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond 2753, Australia
Interests: insect–plant interactions; global change biology; plant protection; herbivore defences; root herbivory; plant–microbe impacts on insect herbivores
Prof. Dr. Sue Hartley

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
York Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of York, York YO1 10DD, UK
Interests: silicon-based plant defences; plant–herbivore interactions; silicon and abiotic stress, particularly with respect to drought and salinity; sustainable agriculture and agri-environment policy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Silicon (Si) uptake has been shown to help plant defence against both pests and pathogens. Plants acquire Si from the soil in the form of silicic acid (Si(OH)4), which is then distributed throughout the plant. Silicon has a negative effect on insect herbivory, for example, through the accumulation of solid silica particles in the plant (phytoliths), which are thought to reduce herbivore feeding and hinder digestion. Si deposited around cell walls may also provide protection against other biotic stresses (e.g., fungal pathogens). Moreover, recent evidence suggests that Si plays a role in plant defence by altering gene expression and phytohormone responses. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the function of Si in plant defence with a focus on biotic stressors.

Dr. Casey Hall
Dr. Rebecca Vandegeer
Dr. Scott Johnson
Prof. Dr. Sue Hartley
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • silicon
  • silicon uptake
  • plant defence
  • plant mechanical defence
  • herbivory
  • pathogens
  • biotic stress
  • plant–insect interactions
  • phytohormones

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1924 KiB  
Article
Aphid Feeding Induces Phytohormonal Cross-Talk without Affecting Silicon Defense against Subsequent Chewing Herbivores
by Scott N. Johnson, Rhiannon C. Rowe and Casey R. Hall
Plants 2020, 9(8), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9081009 - 10 Aug 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2935
Abstract
Prior feeding by insect herbivores frequently affects plant quality for herbivores that subsequently feed on the plant. Facilitation occurs when one herbivore improves plant quality for other herbivores, including when the former compromises plant defenses. Silicon (Si) is an important defense in grasses [...] Read more.
Prior feeding by insect herbivores frequently affects plant quality for herbivores that subsequently feed on the plant. Facilitation occurs when one herbivore improves plant quality for other herbivores, including when the former compromises plant defenses. Silicon (Si) is an important defense in grasses that increases following activation of the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway. Given that aphids often stimulate the salicylic acid (SA) pathway, we hypothesized that this could reduce Si defense because of the well documented antagonistic cross-talk between SA and JA. We tested this in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon with and without Si (+Si and −Si, respectively); half of the plants were exposed to aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi) and half remained aphid-free. Aphid-free and aphid-exposed plants were then fed to chewing herbivores (Helicoverpa armigera). Aphids triggered higher SA concentrations which suppressed JA concentrations but this did not affect foliar Si. Chewing herbivores triggered higher JA concentrations and induced Si uptake, regardless of previous feeding by aphids. Chewer growth rates were not impacted by prior aphid herbivory but were reduced by 75% when feeding on +Si plants. We concluded that aphids caused phytohormonal cross-talk but this was overridden by chewing herbivory that also induced Si uptake. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Silicon in Plant Defences)
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12 pages, 7577 KiB  
Article
Silicon Alters Leaf Surface Morphology and Suppresses Insect Herbivory in a Model Grass Species
by Casey R. Hall, Vaibhav Dagg, Jamie M. Waterman and Scott N. Johnson
Plants 2020, 9(5), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9050643 - 19 May 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5045
Abstract
Grasses accumulate large amounts of silicon (Si) which is deposited in trichomes, specialised silica cells and cell walls. This may increase leaf toughness and reduce cell rupture, palatability and digestion. Few studies have measured leaf mechanical traits in response to Si, thus the [...] Read more.
Grasses accumulate large amounts of silicon (Si) which is deposited in trichomes, specialised silica cells and cell walls. This may increase leaf toughness and reduce cell rupture, palatability and digestion. Few studies have measured leaf mechanical traits in response to Si, thus the effect of Si on herbivores can be difficult to disentangle from Si-induced changes in leaf surface morphology. We assessed the effects of Si on Brachypodium distachyon mechanical traits (specific leaf area (SLA), thickness, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), relative electrolyte leakage (REL)) and leaf surface morphology (macrohairs, prickle, silica and epidermal cells) and determined the effects of Si on the growth of two generalist insect herbivores (Helicoverpa armigera and Acheta domesticus). Si had no effect on leaf mechanical traits; however, Si changed leaf surface morphology: silica and prickle cells were on average 127% and 36% larger in Si supplemented plants, respectively. Prickle cell density was significantly reduced by Si, while macrohair density remained unchanged. Caterpillars were more negatively affected by Si compared to crickets, possibly due to the latter having a thicker and thus more protective gut lining. Our data show that Si acts as a direct defence against leaf-chewing insects by changing the morphology of specialised defence structures without altering leaf mechanical traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Silicon in Plant Defences)
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Review

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10 pages, 228 KiB  
Review
Silicon and Plant–Animal Interactions: Towards an Evolutionary Framework
by Ofir Katz
Plants 2020, 9(4), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040430 - 1 Apr 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2454
Abstract
Herbivory is fundamental in ecology, being a major driver of ecosystem structure and functioning. Plant Si and phytoliths play a significant antiherbivory role, the understanding of which and of its evolutionary context will increase our understanding of this phenomenon, its origins, and its [...] Read more.
Herbivory is fundamental in ecology, being a major driver of ecosystem structure and functioning. Plant Si and phytoliths play a significant antiherbivory role, the understanding of which and of its evolutionary context will increase our understanding of this phenomenon, its origins, and its significance for past, extant, and future ecosystems. To achieve this goal, we need a superdisciplinary evolutionary framework connecting the role of Si in plant–herbivore interactions, in global processes, and in plant and herbivore evolution. To do this properly, we should acknowledge and incorporate into our work some basic facts that are too often overlooked. First, there is great taxonomic variance both in plant Si contents, forms, and roles, but also in herbivore responses, dietary preferences, and in fossil evidence. Second, species and their traits, as well as whole ecosystems, should be seen in the context of their entire evolutionary history and may therefore reflect not only adaptations to extant selective factors but also anachronistic traits. Third, evolutionary history and evolutionary transitions are complex, resulting in true and apparent asynchronisms. Fourth, evolution and ecology are multiscalar, in which various phenomena and processes act at various scales. Taking these issues into consideration will improve our ability to develop this needed theoretical framework and will bring us closer to gaining a more complete understanding of one of the most exciting and elusive phenomena in plant biology and ecology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Silicon in Plant Defences)
11 pages, 1060 KiB  
Review
Silicon and Plant Natural Defenses against Insect Pests: Impact on Plant Volatile Organic Compounds and Cascade Effects on Multitrophic Interactions
by Nicolas Leroy, Félix de Tombeur, Yseult Walgraffe, Jean-Thomas Cornélis and François J. Verheggen
Plants 2019, 8(11), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8110444 - 23 Oct 2019
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 10012
Abstract
Environmental factors controlling silicon (Si) accumulation in terrestrial plant are key drivers to alleviate plant biotic stresses, including insect herbivory. While there is a general agreement on the ability of Si-enriched plant to better resist insect feeding, recent studies suggest that Si also [...] Read more.
Environmental factors controlling silicon (Si) accumulation in terrestrial plant are key drivers to alleviate plant biotic stresses, including insect herbivory. While there is a general agreement on the ability of Si-enriched plant to better resist insect feeding, recent studies suggest that Si also primes biochemical defense pathways in various plant families. In this review, we first summarize how soil parameters and climate variables influence Si assimilation in plants. Then, we describe recent evidences on the ability of Si to modulate plant volatile emissions, with potential cascade effects on phytophagous insects and higher trophic levels. Even though the mechanisms still need to be elucidated, Si accumulation in plants leads to contrasting effects on the levels of the three major phytohormones, namely jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and ethylene, resulting in modified emissions of plant volatile organic compounds. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles would be particularly impacted by Si concentration in plant tissues, resulting in a cascade effect on the attraction of natural enemies of pests, known to locate their prey or hosts based on plant volatile cues. Since seven of the top 10 most important crops in the world are Si-accumulating Poaceae species, it is important to discuss the potential of Si mobility in soil-plant systems as a novel component of an integrated pest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Silicon in Plant Defences)
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