Identifying signal peptides in potato psyllids, Bactericera cockerelli

Potato psyllids (Bactericera cockerelli) feed on the phloem of several solanaceous plants and are capable vectors of a phytopathogen that affect agriculturally significant crops. Psyllids possess piercing, sucking mouthparts to gain access to their host plants’ nutrients. Feeding induces plant defense responses which are suppressed by molecules--likely proteins in the psyllids’ saliva. To identify these candidate proteins, we prepared a bioassay consisting of three treatments: psyllid exposed  plant tissue, unexposed plant tissue, and lab-reared psyllids. Samples were extracted and purified. Analysis was carried out using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.