Gene expression in Tribolium castaneum life stages: Identifying a species-specific target for pest control applications.

ABSTRACT: The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, is a major agricultural pest of post-harvest products and stored grain. Control of T. castaneum in stored products and grain is primarily by fumigants and sprays, but insecticide resistance is a major problem, and new control strategies are needed. T. castaneum is a genetic model for coleopterans, and the reference genome can be used for discovery of candidate gene targets for molecular-based control, such as RNA interference. Gene targets need to be pest specific, and ideally, they are expressed at low levels for successful control. Therefore, we sequenced the transcriptome of four major life stages of T. castaneum, sorted data into groups based on high or low expression levels, and compared relative gene expression am

SUBMITTER: Perkin LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6535216 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature