The molecular mechanisms that determine different degrees of polyphagy in the Bemisia tabaci species complex.

ABSTRACT: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a closely related group of >35 cryptic species that feed on the phloem sap of a broad range of host plants. Species in the complex differ in their host-range breadth, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. We investigated, therefore, how six different B. tabaci species cope with the environmental unpredictability presented by a set of four common and novel host plants. Behavioral studies indicated large differences in performances on the four hosts and putative specialization of one of the species to cassava plants. Transcriptomic analyses revealed two main insights. First, a large set of genes involved in metabolism (>85%) showed differences in expression between the six species, and each species could be characterized by its own

SUBMITTER: Malka O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7980310 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature