Abstract
In this research, we carried out a tritrophic bioassay to assess the potential effect of Cry1Ab-expressing rice on the foraging behavior of the common wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata and its underlying molecular mechanism. Results indicated the Bt-containing spiders expressed a higher foraging range when compared to controls. The high throughput de novo transcriptome sequencing was further carried out for central nervous system (CNS) of P. pseudoannulata with and without Cry1Ab intake. We obtained 120, 985 unigenes with a mean length of 529.73 bp. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed the expression levels of genes related to energy metabolism were changed in response to Cry1Ab, which may contribute to a more active foraging behavior. In addition, some DEGs also have a function related to metal ion binding, implying a potential influence on metal ions-dependent reactions. This may be associated with Cry1Ab resistance mechanism in the spider.
Highlights
Spiders are effective predators in terrestrial ecosystems, where they act in the ecology of herbivore and detritivore food webs (Jung et al 2008a) and influence herbivore populations (Marc and Ysnel 1999)
Our previous study indicated that accumulated Cry1Ab level in spider peaked at 9th day after spider was fed with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice-consuming BHPs (Wang et al 2016), so spiders used in this research were all fed with Bt containing brown planthopper (BPH) for 9 days
Our previous study showed the multi-trophic movement of Cry proteins can be traced from Bt rice to BPHs and to a predatory spider (Wang et al 2016), implying a potential negative influence on safety of predators in the field
Summary
Spiders are effective predators in terrestrial ecosystems, where they act in the ecology of herbivore and detritivore food webs (Jung et al 2008a) and influence herbivore populations (Marc and Ysnel 1999). The common wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bosenberg et Strand) (Araneae: Lycosidae) is a major predator in Chinese agroecosystems (Tian et al 2012). It is a biological control agent of some insect pests, especially the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a severe rice pest in China (Zhao and Chen 2004; Zhao and Zhang 2005). Modified (GM) rice expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ab protein has been developed to alleviate the environmental contamination due to the use of broad-spectrum chemical insecticides and to address the broader complex of insect pests (Chen et al 2011)
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