Nitrogen hurdle of host alternation for a polyphagous aphid and the associated changes of endosymbionts

Abstract

Low proportion of essential amino acids (EAAs) is one of the barriers for animals to use phloem as a diet. Endosymbionts with EAAs synthesis functions are considered crucial for ameliorating the lack of EAAs in insects’ diets. In this study, we transferred the insects from a cabbage-reared Myzus persicae population onto 3 new plant species including eggplant, tobacco and spinach. The performance on these plants was evaluated and the dynamics of endosymbionts in relation to this host alternation were recorded. We found that the EAAs ratio in phloem was largely determined by the concentrations of non-essential amino acids and the higher proportion of EAAs seemed to favor the population establishment on new plant species and the growth of primary endosymbionts inside insects, which indicated that nitrogen quality was an important factor for aphids to infest and spread on new plant hosts.