Comparison of Metabolome of Quercus fabri Twigs and Associated Galls Induced by Andricus mukaigawae
1. College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China; 2. College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China
Abstract：Galls are the abnormal tissues formed by the abnormal growth of plants stimulated by the oviposi-tion and feeding of gall insects. The nutritional hypothesis suggests that the content of nutrients in gall tis-sues is higher than that in the gall forming parts of the host plants, while the content of secondary metabo-lites is lower than that in the gall forming parts of host plants. Andricus mukaigawae belongs to the family Cynipidae of the order Hymenoptera. It forms galls on the branches of white oak (Quercus fabri). Herein, based on the non-targeted metabolome, metabolites in galls and host plants at the larval stage of A. mukaigawae were detected, identified and compared using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The results showed that there were differences in metabolite composition between the galls and the galled branches. Lipid content of the galls was higher than that of the galled branches, and the contents of four kinds of tannins and four kinds of flavonoids of the galls were lower than those of the galled branches, which supported the nutrient hypothesis. However, the amino acid content of the galls was lower than that of the galled branches, and the content of some phenolics was higher than that of the galled branches, which did not support the nutrient hypothesis.
