Transcriptomics and Co-expression Network Profiling of Effects of Levamisole Hydrochloride on Bursaphelenchus Xylophilus

Abstract

Background: Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is one of the most dangerous forest pathogens in the world, resulting in the devastating death of pine forests and causing great economic losses and forest ecological damage to the affected areas. To explore the effect of levamisole hydrochloride (LH) as an effective control agent on nematode.Results: The results indicated that 2.5 mg/mL and 3.5 mg/mL LH had the toxicological effect on B. xylophilus, and the mortality increased significantly with the increase of concentration (P<0.05). We found and studied Sodium / Chloride and other ion genes belonging nervous system were up-regulated and the ion signal transmitted to the muscle protein and cause disorders, producing body-wall muscle twitchin, paralysis, and ultimately death. In the other hand, 2 Senecionine N-oxygenase and 2 Alcohol dehydrogenase as the central genes in drug metabolism-cytochrome P450 (ko00982) and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 (ko00980), and 8 highly related genes including Cuticle collagen, Cystathionine beta-synthase, Endochitinase, Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit beta, Aldehyde dehydrogenase, Lipase, Zinc metalloproteinase. Their expressions up-regulation significantly at low concentrations and were significantly related to the resistance of B. xylophilus to LH. Conclusion: This study has shown that B. xylophilus gene family expansions occurred in xenobiotic detoxification pathways through the degree of genes expression and potential horizontal correlated gene transfer with LH, and shed light on LH lethality and evolutionary mechanisms behind adaptations of B. xylophilus to the environment. These findings contribute in several ways to our understanding of B. xylophilus under LH and provide a basis for control of it.