Transcriptome analysis and comparison reveal divergence between the Mediterranean and the greenhouse whiteflies

Abstract

Both the Mediterranean (MED) species of the Bemisia tabaci whitefly complex and the greenhouse whitefly ( Trialeurodes vaporariorum , TV) are important agricultural pests. The two species of whiteflies differ in many aspects such as morphology, geographical distribution, host plant range, plant virus transmission, and resistance to insecticides. However, the molecular basis underlying their differences remains largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the genetic divergences between the transcriptomes of MED and TV. In total, 2,944 pairs of orthologous genes were identified. The average identity of amino acid sequences between the two species is 93.6%. The average nonsynonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates and the ratio of Ka/Ks of the orthologous genes are 0.0389, 2.23 and 0.0204, respectively. The low average Ka/Ks ratio indicates that orthologous genes tend to be under strong purified selection. The most divergent gene classes are related to the metabolisms of xenobiotics, cofactors, vitamins and amino acids, and this divergence may underlie the different biological characteristics between the two species of whiteflies. Genes of differential expression between the two species are enriched in carbohydrate metabolism and regulation of autophagy. These findings provide molecular clues to uncover the biological and molecular differences between the two species of whiteflies.

The egg-counter: a novel microfluidic platform for characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying

“…In comparison, it would cost more than $15 000 (ref. 59) in parts to build an open-source worm tracker for egglaying assays that require the temporal resolution and long duration provided by the Egg-Counter, before accounting for the necessary computer and environmental control. We conclude that based on the cost per animal studied, the Egg-Counter can provide a 400-fold or greater increase in throughput over traditional approaches.…”

Tiny Flies: A Mighty Pest That Threatens Agricultural Productivity—A Case for Next-Generation Control Strategies of Whiteflies

“…RNAi-mediated control of whitefly has also been validated in transgenic tobacco wherein a high level of resistance was achieved against the pest in laboratory conditions [ 113 ]. Transcriptome and genome sequencing data may be used for the selection of target genes [ 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 ]. Nevertheless, the identification of whitefly specific genes with no or minimum off-target effects has been a major concern.…”