Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Udp-Glucuronosyltransferases in the Whitefly Bemisia Tabaci (Gennadius) (HemipterA: Aleyrodidae).

Litao Guo,Wen Xie,Youjun Zhang,Zezhong Yang,Jianping Xu

doi:10.3390/ijms21228492

Abstract

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an important agricultural pest worldwide. Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are one of the largest and most ubiquitous groups of proteins. Because of their role in detoxification, insect UGTs are attracting increasing attention. In this study, we identified and analyzed UGT genes in B. tabaci MEAM1 to investigate their potential roles in host adaptation and reproductive capacity. Based on phylogenetic and structural analyses, we identified 76 UGT genes in the B. tabaci MEAM1 genome. RNA-seq and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) revealed differential expression patterns of these genes at different developmental stages and in association with four host plants (cabbage, cucumber, cotton and tomato). RNA interference results of selected UGTs showed that, when UGT352A1, UGT352B1, and UGT354A1 were respectively silenced by feeding on dsRNA, the fecundity of B. tabaci MEAM1 was reduced, suggesting that the expressions of these three UGT genes in this species may be associated with host-related fecundity. Together, our results provide detailed UGTs data in B. tabaci and help guide future studies on the mechanisms of host adaptation by B. tabaci.

Highlights

Plants and insects are among the most common organisms on earth
RAestuolttsal of 76 UGT genes were identified in the genome of B. tabaci MEAM1
76 UGT genes were identified in the B. tabaci MEAM1 genome (Table S1)

Summary

Introduction

Plants and insects are among the most common organisms on earth. Together, they make up approximately half of all known species of multicellular organisms. A very common form of interaction between insects and plants with significant agricultural and economic importance is insect herbivory on crop plants. Herbivorous insects may evolve specific counter mechanisms towards specific host plants. The result of such an arms race can lead to increased specialization of insects feeding only certain plants [1,2]. The insect may change its feeding behavior and expand its feeding range, evolving resistance mechanisms to feed on multiple plant species. One example of a polyphagous insect is the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), a generalist herbivore that feeds on many crop and ornamental plants. Tetranychus urticae is a model species for understanding the adaptation mechanism of insects to host plants. Comparative analyses revealed that these genes in T. urticae were obtained through horizontal gene transfer but their expressions differed significantly depending on the specific host plants that they feed on [3,6,8,12,13,14]

Methods

Results

Conclusion