Publication: Symbiotic bacteria enable aphids to utilize plant phloem sap

March 7th, 2009

Gündüz EA and Douglas AE 2009. Symbiotic bacteria enable insect to utilise a nutritionally-inadequate diet. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 276, 987-991

Plant phloem sap is an unbalanced diet for animals because it has low concentrations of essential amino acids, nutrients required for protein synthesis and growth of animals. In this study, we show that the phloem sap of bean plants (Vicia faba) provides insufficient essential amino acids to support the observed protein growth of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). This shortfall is made good by the symbiotic bacterium Buchnera in the aphids, which synthesize essential amino acids at rates that generally exceed the deficit of amino acids in the diet.

This research was reviewed in the Observatory section of the New York Times.