Browsing by Author "Bera, Paramita"

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Deep metabolomics revealed trajectories of jasmonate signaling-mediated primary metabolism in Arabidopsis upon Spodoptera litura herbivory
(John Wiley & Sons, 2025) Kundu, Anish; Bera, Paramita; Mishra, Shruti; Vadassery, Jyothilakshmi
Plants defend against chewing herbivores by up-regulating jasmonic acid (JA) signaling, which activates downstream signaling cascades and produces numerous secondary metabolites that act as defense molecules against the herbivores. Although secondary metabolism always remains a focus of research, primary metabolism is also reported to be realigned upon herbivory. However, JA signaling-mediated modulation of primary metabolites and their metabolic pathways in plants are mostly unexplored. Here, we applied gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics aided with computational statistical frameworks on wild type Arabidopsis, mutants of active JA receptor (i.e., CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE 1, COI1-1) and downstream transcription factor (i.e., MYC2) to navigate the JA signaling-mediated primary metabolism alterations during herbivory. Pathway and metabolite's chemical class enrichment analysis revealed JA signaling is crucial for constitutive as well as herbivore-induced primary metabolism and topology of their interaction networks. JA signaling majorly modulated alterations of sugars, amino acids and related metabolites. Herbivory-mediated sugar depletion and induction of methionine for aliphatic glucosinolates are also dependent on JA signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrate trails of JA signaling-mediated primary metabolic alterations associated with herbivory.
Identification of novel target genes for RNAi mediated management of the pest, Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, J. E. Smith)
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Bera, Paramita; Suby, S.B.; Dixit, Sameer; Vijayan, Vishakh; Kumar, Naveen; Sekhar, J.C.; Vadassery, Jyothilakshmi
RNA interference (RNAi) of vital insect genes is a potential tool for targeted pest management. However, the selection of the right target genes and its dsRNA delivery method is also a challenge because the RNAi efficacy is known to vary among insect species. Fall Armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda) is a polyphagous generalist insect pest that can feed on more than 100 plant species, with a strong preference for maize. In the present study, we evaluated the RNAi efficiency of three vital genes coding for Coatomer Subunit alpha (COPIα), Coatomer Subunit beta (COPIβ) and Glutathione-S-transferase U1 (GSTU1) as potential targets for managing FAW. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the target genes' expression level reduced to 75–80% in FAW larvae, after their continuous oral delivery through diet for 8 days. It also caused significant mortality in larvae (40–50%) and pupae (40–62%), and resulted in deformed intermediates (28–38%) and adults (25–40%). It also affected reproduction as evidenced by an approximately 50% reduction in oviposition. Moreover, exogenous application of dsRNA in maize leaves resulted in significant feeding deterrence by FAW larvae, which enhanced the frequency of cannibalism. The impact of target genes’ dsRNA on the biology and behaviour of FAW suggests their insecticidal potential. Thus, the current study reveals the novel target genes and their utility in RNA based pesticides for sustainable management of FAW.
Regulatory role of phytohormones in the interaction of plants with insect herbivores
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Kundu, Pritha; Bera, Paramita; Mishra, Shruti; Vadassery, Jyothilakshmi
Insect herbivores affect crop growth worldwide, causing significant yield losses annually. Phytohormones are prime signaling molecules that coordinate many physiological phenomena, besides triggering stress-responsive regulatory genes involved in plant defense. Here, we present a holistic picture of the central role of various phytohormones—jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, ethylene, abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids in regulating the diverse molecular interactions between plants and insect herbivores. With an initial overview of the early signaling response, the chapter majorly focuses on the role of different key phytohormones in defending plants against herbivory and their cross talk. We also describe the phytohormone-mediated production of secondary metabolites and other defense toxins to counteract harmful herbivores. With the well-established myriad of information in selected plant–herbivore model systems, it is now critical to translate this knowledge to less explored crop plants for sustainable development in agriculture.