Analysis of the Transcriptional Differences between Indigenous and Invasive Whiteflies Reveals Possible Mechanisms of Whitefly Invasion

Abstract

BackgroundThe whitefly Bemisa tabaci is a species complex of more than 31 cryptic species which include some of the most destructive invasive pests of crops worldwide. Among them, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean have invaded many countries and displaced the native whitefly species. The successful invasion of the two species is largely due to their wide range of host plants, high resistance to insecticides and remarkable tolerance to environmental stresses. However, the molecular differences between invasive and indigenous whiteflies remain largely unknown.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere the global transcriptional difference between the two invasive whitefly species (MEAM1, MED) and one indigenous whitefly species (Asia II 3) were analyzed using the Illumina sequencing. Our analysis indicated that 2,422 genes between MEAM1 and MED; 3,073 genes between MEAM1 and Asia II 3; and 3,644 genes between MED and Asia II 3 were differentially expressed. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the differently expressed genes between the invasive and indigenous whiteflies were significantly enriched in the term of ‘oxidoreductase activity’. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that carbohydrate, amino acid and glycerolipid metabolisms were more active in MEAM1 and MED than in Asia II 3, which may contribute to their differences in biological characteristics. Our analysis also illustrated that the majority of genes involved in ‘drug metabolic pathway’ were expressed at a higher level in MEAM1 and MED than in Asia II 3. Taken together, these results revealed that the genes related to basic metabolism and detoxification were expressed at an elevated level in the invasive whiteflies, which might be responsible for their higher resistance to insecticides and environmental stresses.Conclusions/SignificanceThe extensive comparison of MEAM1, MED and Asia II 3 gene expression may serve as an invaluable resource for revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying their biological differences and the whitefly invasion.

Transcriptome analyses suggest a novel hypothesis for whitefly adaptation to tobacco

“…Wang et al . 17 further showed that invasive whiteflies could perform better than indigenous whiteflies on tobacco due to their high activity of detoxification. However, these studies only reported the short-term response of whitefly to unsuitable host plants.…”

Transcriptome analysis between invasive Pomacea canaliculata and indigenous Cipangopaludina cahayensis reveals genomic divergence and diagnostic microsatellite/SSR markers

“…Recently, next generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized the fields of genomics and transcriptomics, providing an opportunity for the rapid and cost-effective generation of genome-scale data [ 25 ]. These technologies have been applied successfully in many invasive species, including Bemisia tabaci [ 26 , 27 ], Anguillicola crassus [ 28 ], Aedes aegypti [ 29 ] and Mytilus galloprovincialis [ 30 ]. In the present study, we sequenced and assembled the transcriptome of the native C. cahayensis from mainland China and the invasive P. canaliculata using de novo sequence assembly.…”

Cloning of a putative extracellular Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and functional differences of superoxide dismutases in invasive and indigenous whiteflies

“…Plants were cultivated with a potting mix (a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite, organic fertilizer, perlite in a 10 : 10 : 10 : 1 ratio by volume) in plastic pots and grown in whitefly‐proof glasshouses at 27 ± 1 °C, 14 : 10 h L : D, and 40%−60% relative humidity (RH). All the plants used for experiments were grown to the 5−6 fully expanded true leaf stage and all insects used in various treatments were placed onto the lower surface of the third to fifth leaves counted from the top of the plant (Wang et al ., ).…”