Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of <i>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus</i> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Reveals Potential Mechanisms Involved in the Toxication and Detoxification of the External Immune Compound p-Benzoquinone Present in Oral Secretions.

ABSTRACT: p-Benzoquinone (PBQ), a highly toxic compound, is the main active component in larval oral secretions of red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, playing critical roles in external immunity and pathogen defense. In this study, we demonstrated that pathogens effectively induce RPW larval external immune responses. On this basis, the toxicity of PBQ to third-instar larvae was determined, with poisoning symptoms observed. The differences in gene expression between larvae before and after treatment with PBQ were analyzed by transcriptome sequencing to potentially involve the mechanisms of PBQ toxicity on larvae and the mechanisms of detoxification in the infected larvae. The results indicated that PBQ exposure was associated with altered expression of chitinase (CHI) and phenol

SUBMITTER: Chen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12564192 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature