Transcriptome analyses suggest a novel hypothesis for whitefly adaptation to tobacco.

ABSTRACT: The adaptation of herbivorous insects to various host plants facilitates the spread and outbreak of many important invasive pests, however, the molecular mechanisms that underneath this process are poorly understood. In the past three decades, two species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci complex, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 and Mediterranean, have invaded many countries. Their rapid and widespread invasions are partially due to their ability to infest a wide range of host plants. In this study, we determined the transcriptome and phenotypic changes of one Mediterranean whitefly population during its adaptation to tobacco, an unsuitable host plant. After several generations on tobacco, whiteflies showed increased survival and fecundity. High-throughput RNA sequencing showed that genes involved i

SUBMITTER: Xia WQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5608870 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature