Fig. 4

Schematic representation of BPH-Rice interaction. Using its stylet, the insect pierces the rice tissue and reaches the phloem to suck the sap. During this process, both gelling and watery saliva are secreted by the insect, which contain various molecules that elicit or act against plant defense. Proteins like catalase, endoglucanase, and Ca²⁺-binding proteins might be involved in suppressing the plant defense while proteins like Mucin-like proteins, Apolipophorins, and Protein disulfide isomerase elicit immune responses. Some of these proteins were found to induce callose deposition, cell death and SA or JA- associated defense gene expression