Plant defence proteins during aphid infestation.

Parasitism by phloem-feeding insects, such as aphids and whiteflies, are widespread and often serious constraint on plant growth. Aphids successfully exploit a broad range of vascular plants. Despite the ubiquity of phloem feeding insects, in depth knowledge of plant defence and plantmicrobe interactions is still lagging. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the phloem sap proteins that are involved in defence reactions with probable functions in wound and defence reactions.