Integrated Analysis of Metabolome and Transcriptome of Bambusa emeiensis Shoots in Response to Bamboo Snout Beetle Cyrtotrachelus buqueti (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Plants have evolved constitutive and inductive defense mechanisms to protect themselves from herbivorous insects. Metabolites in plants are thought to be involved in response to herbivores. Bambusa emeiensis is an important bamboo species widely distributed in Southwest China. It is easy to attract herbivores such as Cyrtotrachelus buqueti. Through the detection and analysis of metabolites in B. emeiensis metabolomic data, 35 differential metabolites (biomarkers) were finally identified from 206 detection peaks, mainly primary metabolites. Subsequently, we conducted an association analysis between 35 biomarkers that annotated to be involved in 71 metabolic pathways in the metabolome and 324 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in 207 gene expression pathways distributed in the transcriptome of B. emeiensis after feeding by C. buqueti. We also discussed the relationship between the changes in gene expression levels and metabolite content variation. A total of 47 integrated pathways containing the corresponding DEGs and biomarkers were screened out, with the amino acid synthesis pathway (ko01230) containing the most DEGs and biomarkers. In these integrated pathways, the changes in biomarkers content and the expression levels of the corresponding genes were generally consistent. For example, the increase in tryptophan content was accompanied by an increase in the expression of the corresponding catalase in the tryptophan synthesis pathway. Similar to this was glucose and trehalose in carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, this study further deepened our understanding of the defense mechanism of B. emeiensis against bamboo pests and provided new insights for the prevention and control of bamboo diseases and pests.

D(+)-Camphor as the key phytochemical cue is promising for the trap monitoring in a new monophagous camphor tree borer Pagiophloeus tsushimanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

“…Some phytophagous beetles, with a narrow host range, are highly speci c to one or several host plant species (Xue et al, 2011;Li et al, 2017;Tang et al, 2022). For instance, both Eucryptorrhynchus brandti and E. scrobiculatus are host-speci c pests of Ailanthus altissima (Wen et al, 2021).…”

“…Volatiles that mediate insect behavior have received a lot of attention. For example, Cyrtotrachelus buqueti is the main oligotrophic pest in bamboo forest, and the volatile substances of bamboo play a decisive role in its host location (Tang et al, 2022). Host plant-derived volatiles of Ailanthus altissima play an important role in the host oriented behavioral response of two weevils Eucryptorrhynchus scrobiculatus E. brandti (Wen et al, 2021).…”

“…Some previous studies have shown that C. camphora has strong insect pests repellent activities due to that monoterpenoids are the main components of essential oil of C. camphora, which have larvicidal and ovicidal activities against some beetles of stored products (Nenaah et al, 2011;Guo et al, 2016;Jiang et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2020). Monoterpenoid volatile D(+)-camphor is the key component of camphor essential oil (Li et al, 2021;Li et al, 2022). Because of the insecticidal activity of these terpenoids, C. camphora plantations are less likely to be attacked or selected as a host by various herbivorous insects.…”

The key phytochemical cue D(+)-camphor is a promising lure for traps monitoring the new monophagous camphor tree borer Pagiophloeus tsushimanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

“…Some phytophagous beetles have a narrow host range and are highly speci c to one or several host plant species (Xue et al 2011;Li et al 2017;Tang et al 2022). For instance, both Eucryptorrhynchus brandti and E. scrobiculatus weevils are host-speci c pests of Ailanthus altissima, a tree with few pests owing to its high abundance of defense compounds (Wen et al 2021).…”

“…For example, Cyrtotrachelus buqueti is the main oligotrophic pest in bamboo forests, and the volatiles of bamboo play a decisive role in its host location (Tang et al 2022). Host plant-derived volatiles of Ailanthus altissima play an important role in the host-oriented behavioral response of two weevils Eucryptorrhynchus scrobiculatus E. brandti (Wen et al 2021).…”