Understanding the role of old and recent selective pressures in the emergence of aphid clones able to overcome the plant resistance is the long-term goal of my research program. This will offer knowledge to build strategies for using resistances to aphids and viruses they transmit that ensure the sustainability of the resistance effects. We focus on Aphis gossypii/Cucumis melo interaction because it contains all the essential characteristics to conduct this research program i/ A. gossypii is a polyphaqous aphid species containing clones specializing on Cucurbit plants, these clones gather in specific genetic clusters, ii/ Cucumis melo species contains several resistance genes to A. gossypii. Moreover one of these genes, Vat, is unique because it also confers resistance to viruses when A. gossypii clones inoculate the Vat plants with viruses. I organize my work around three questions:
1. How is controlled resistance to aphids and viruses they transmit in melon, and what are the evolutionary forces acting on the different loci?
2. What are the similarities/dissimilarities between adaptation to heritable plant resistance and adaptation to Cucurbits in A. gossypii species?
3. How to build sustainable systems to control aphids and viruses they transmit using genetic resistance as a pillar of these systems?