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Insect-induced galls are an atypical growth and differentiation form of plant tissue. The objective of this research was to study the expression of photosynthesis-associated proteins in Cecidomyiidae galls derived from the leaves of Litsea acuminata using a Western blot analysis of antibodies against light-harvesting complex (LHC) proteins isolated from non-galled and galled leaves and gall tissues. These LHC proteins involved in RC-1a, RC-1b, LHCb4, LHCb5, CP47, and CP-1a showed different responses in galls and leaves and exhibited a remarkable potential modulation role in regulating gall development. All photosynthetic proteins were repressed in gall tissues, indicating that light reaction functioning was significantly repressed. Compared to non-galled and galled leaves, galls demonstrated significantly lower chlorophyll (Chl) content and photosystem II maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) values, suggesting that insect infestations reduced photosynthetic efficiency. In addition, there were significant and positive correlations between LHCb5, CP-1a, and CP47 vs. Fv/Fm values and Chl content in galls and leaves, indicating that gall infections induced physiological changes, and therefore, that the Fv/Fm value could be utilized as a tool to easily and quickly study the eco-physiology of galls.

The objective of this research was to study altered distributions of chloroplasts in cecidomyiid galls derived from the leaves of Machilus thunbergii Sieb. & Zucc. and Litsea acuminata (Blume) Kurata using confocal laser-scanning microscopy and transmittance spectra. Chloroplasts in all gall tissues gradually decreased in the direction from the exterior toward the inside larval chamber based on Integrated Optical Density (IOD) and absorptivity indices, and chloroplast distributions in various gall tissues were species-specific. Different species of herbivorous insect dramatically altered chloroplasts in their host leaves. The spectral index was significantly and positively correlated with the IOD, and therefore, the transmittance spectra could be utilized as a tool to easily and quickly study the ecophysiology of galls.