Characteristics of hydroxamic acid induction in wheat triggered by aphid infestation

Hydroxamic acids (Hx) are natural products of Gramineae that are associated with cereal resistance to pests. We aimed at characterizing the induction of Hx accumulation in seedlings of wheat, Triticum aestivum, by short-term infestation of the cereal aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi. A load of 25 aphids increased significantly the Hx levels in the infested primary leaf in comparison with control levels. Lower loads did not increase Hx concentration. Aphid infestation lasting 16 hr did not elicit induction of Hx, even after a time-lag of 32 hr to allow the expression of any induced response. Forty eight hours was the minimum duration of aphid infestation required to trigger Hx induction. The age of the infested tissue (the primary leaf) did not affect induction. Similar increases of Hx were found in unfolding, expanding, and totally expanded primary leaves. It was determined that the regime of nutrient supply (N-intensive nutritive solutions at low and high concentration) to wheat seedlings had no effect on the magnitude of the aphid-induced Hx (N-based secondary metabolites). Results obtained are discussed in the framework of general theories of plant defense allocation.