Abstract
Dendrolimus punctatus Walker is a serious pest affecting conifers in southern China. As extensive pesticide spraying is currently required to control D. punctatus, new control strategies are urgently needed. Chemosensory genes represent potential molecular targets for development of alternative pest control strategies, and the expression characteristics of these genes provide an indication of their function. To date, little information is available regarding chemosensory genes in D. punctatus or their expression profiles at different development stages and in various tissues. Here, we assembled and analyzed the transcriptomes of D. punctatus collected at different developmental stages and in a range of organs, using next-generation sequencing. A total of 171 putative chemosensory genes were identified, encoding 53 odorant binding proteins, 26 chemosensory proteins, 60 odorant receptors (OR), 12 gustatory receptors (GR), 18 ionotropic receptors (IR), and 2 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). Expression analysis indicated that the antennae possess the largest number of highly expressed olfactory genes and that olfactory gene expression patterns in the eggs, larvae, and head were similar to one another, with each having moderate numbers of highly expressed olfactory genes. Fat body, ovary, midgut, and testis tissues also had similar olfactory gene expression patterns, including few highly expressed olfactory genes. Of particular note, we identified only two pheromone binding proteins and no pheromone receptors in D. punctatus, similar to our previous findings in Dendrolimus houi and Dendrolimus kikuchii, suggesting that insects of the Dendrolimus genus have different pheromone recognition characteristics to other Lepidopteran insects. Overall, this extensive expression profile analysis provides a clear map of D. punctatus chemosensory genes, and will facilitate functional studies and the development of new pest control methods in the future.
Highlights
Dendrolimus spp. (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) are among the most destructive defoliators of coniferous forests in China
Transcript comparisons were performed among the sequenced tissues and developmental stages (Figure S3) and the results showed that adults possessed the most unique transcripts among the different developmental stages (282 transcripts, Figure S3A), that the germ cells possess the most unique transcripts among different tissues (1255 transcripts, Figure S3B), and that the female antenna possesses more unique transcripts than the male antenna (Figure S3C)
We identified 53 OBPs, 26 CSPs, 60 odorant receptors (OR), 12 gustatory receptors (GR), 18 ionotropic receptors (IR), and two sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) in the important pest, D. punctatus, using transcriptome data
Summary
Dendrolimus spp. (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) are among the most destructive defoliators of coniferous forests in China. 30 Dendrolimus species occur in China, of which Dendrolimus punctatus Walker is distributed widely in the south of the country. This pest primarily causes damage to Pinus massoniana Lamb.,one of the most important forest species. The affected area previously extended to approximately 3,000,000 hectares, accounting for 50% of the total pest-damaged forest area in China (Chai, 1995). Chemosensory genes have important roles in the different developmental stages of insects (Liu et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2015). It is necessary to identify D. punctatus chemosensory genes and examine their expression at different developmental stages and in different organs, as such information has potential to facilitate development of new pest control methods for this species
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