GELIFES Seminars - Ernesto Villacís Pérez

Ernesto Villacís Pérez (University of Amsterdam)

Elucidating the bases of adaptive traits in plant-eating mites

The evolutionary arms race between plants and herbivores can be evidenced across ecological and molecular scales. The plethora of mechanisms herbivores use to colonise different plant species is largely related to their ability to cope with host defences. Herbivorous arthropods are known for their ability to efficiently detoxify specialised metabolites and defensive proteins from their diet. Yet, another major trait used by herbivores to exploit their hosts is to manipulate and even suppress the production of plant defences, before herbivores are exposed to them. Using spider mites and their hosts as experimental systems, I investigate associations between host plant species and their defence profiles with mite genotypes, and aim to characterise the underlying mechanisms in the laboratory. Integrating field ecology with omics, bioassays and genetic modification approaches, I validate the function of candidate genes and variants in mites that are key for determining host compatibility. I show how unravelling the bases of adaptations in plant-herbivore interactions not only answers fundamental questions in evolutionary biology, but also addresses societal issues, contributing to the development of data-driven crop protection strategies that efficiently respond to, and even anticipate, pest formation.

Biosketch:
I’m an evolutionary ecologist interested in the origins and persistence of genetic, trait and organismal variation. Plant-herbivore interactions are amongst the most ubiquitous biotic interactions in land ecosystems, and their evolutionary arms race has resulted in an immense plethora of mechanisms that allow herbivores to adapt to their host plants, as well as anti-herbivory defenses in plants. In agricultural settings, the evolution of adaptive traits in herbivores, such as resistance to pesticides and to engineered plant varieties, often compromises crop management strategies. My study system is a group of plant-eating arthropods called spider mites: tiny chelicerates with a huge adaptive potential that cause immense damage to crops, all around the world. I integrate field ecology with omics and bioassays to dissect patterns of genetic and trait variation relevant to host plant adaptation and pesticide resistance in mites associated to natural and agricultural systems. I functionally validate the mechanisms behind these adaptive traits using genetic modification and molecular biology approaches in the laboratory. I argue that understanding the bases of pest adaptations can contribute to novel, data-driven crop protection strategies that anticipate pest formation.