Tolerance and responsive gene expression of Sogatella furcifera under extreme temperature stresses are altered by its vectored plant virus

Abstract

Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), a newly emerged fijivirus causing great loss to rice production in eastern and southeastern Asian countries in recent years, is efficiently transmitted by a rice pest, white-backed planthopper (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera) in a persistent, circulative propagative manner and can be considered as an insect virus. In this study, SRBSDV infection in WBPH was found to increase the vector’s death rate under extreme cold stress but improve its survival rate under extreme heat stress. Digital gene expression profiling based on RNA-Seq revealed different gene regulation patterns in WBPH under viral and/or temperature stress. Under cold stress, the virus infection upregulated 1540 genes and downregulated 131 genes in the insect, most of which were related to membrane properties and biological processes of actin and cytoskeleton; whereas under heat stress, it upregulated 363 genes and downregulated 548 genes, most of which were associated to metabolism and intracellular organelles. Several types of stress-responsive genes involving intestinal mucin, cuticle protein, ubiquitin protease, immune response, RNA interference and heat shock response, were largely upregulated under cold stress, but largely downregulated under heat stress, by SRBSDV infection. Our results suggest two distinct mechanisms of virus-altered vector insect tolerance to temperature stress.

Extremophiles as a Model of a Natural Ecosystem: Transcriptional Coordination of Genes Reveals Distinct Selective Responses of Plants Under Climate Change Scenarios

“…These studies in comparative genomics also support the extremely low diversity of populations of Rhizophora and other mangrove species, revealing an evolutionary future threatened by the extreme conditions of intertidal zones. The investigation of genomic data is essential to the elucidation of the history and evolutionary mechanisms of adaptation that occur in parallel in each mangrove population ( Xu et al, 2016 ). Despite the extensive presence of mangroves on tropical coasts, the lack of genetic diversity coupled with changes in sea levels make this ecosystem one of those most influenced by climate change in the current century ( Loarie et al, 2009 ).…”

Metabolomic Changes in Sogatella furcifera under Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus Infection and Temperature Stress

“…At 12, 24, 36, and 48 h after extreme temperature treatment, compared to the virus-free insects, the SRBSDV-infected WBPH had significantly higher death rates after cold treatment, but significantly lower death rates under heat stress. These results indicate that SRBSDV infection in S. furcifera can increase the vector’s death rate under extreme cold stress but improve its survival rate under extreme heat stress [ 17 ]. Through comparative transcriptome analysis, different gene regulation patterns in WBPH under viral and/or temperature stresses were examined, and many genes involved in metabolism were found to be regulated by the stresses [ 17 ].…”

Characteristics of siRNAs derived from Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus in infected rice and their potential role in host gene regulation

“…The P8 and P10 are putative minor core protein and major outer capsid protein, respectively [ 31 , 33 , 34 ]. Previous studies revealed that SRBSDV infection may regulate the expression of a bunch of rice miRNAs [ 42 ] and some of the RNAi-related genes in WBPH under different temporal conditions, suggesting interactions of the virus and host silencing pathways [ 43 ]. It has been demonstrated that the core component Dicer-2 of siRNA pathway has decisive influences on SRBSDV accumulation and dissemination in insect and vector competence [ 44 ].…”