Life Sciences Commons^™

Diapause Induction In Eastern North American Populations Of Propylea Quatuordecimpunctata And Hippodamia Variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Experiments examined the effect of photoperiod on the expression of adult diapause in North American populations of two Palearctic ladybird beetle species, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata.

Comparative data for the reproductive responses to different photoperiod conditions for H. variegata were taken from Obrycki (2018). Additionally, comparisons of responses to the four photoperiods between P. quatuordecimpunctata from Jefferson County, NY, USA to P. quatuordecimpunctata from Montreal, Quebec, Canada were also conducted. Data for the Montreal, Quebec, Canada population are from Obrycki et al., (1993).

Two Data sets are included:

(1) Pre-oviposition period (days) as a measure of induction and …

Diapause In Eastern North American Populations Of Coccinella Septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Experiments examined the effect of photoperiod on the expression of adult diapause in the Palearctic ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata, within 10 years of its discovery in North America. The study used beetles from two populations in eastern United States and focused on two aspects of diapause. First, the effects of daylength on the induction and depth (or duration) of diapause were examined by rearing and maintaining adult beetles from Tompkins County, New York,(approx. 42.4°N, 76.5°W) under six constant photoperiods until oviposition, death, or the passage of 125 days. Second, the seasonal progression of diapause maintenance and termination under natural conditions …

Data For "Linking Previous Experiences To Behavior And Health In The Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)"", Rebecca R. Westwick, Clare C. Rittschof, Gavin P. Brackett, Cameron E. Brown, Bethany J. Ison, Zainulabbeudin Syed, Anna M. Foose

Entomology Research Data

An organism’s ability to respond to changing conditions can be vital to its success. Indeed, plasticity is a common feature of living organisms. Much of the research in this area, though, has focused on effects caused by environmental conditions. What has received relatively less attention is how social experiences and broader features of an organism’s social environment can lead to long-lasting changes in health and behavior. This knowledge gap exists despite the well-documented existence of health and behavioral effects after social interactions in certain taxa such as humans.

Social insects such as honey bees provide an excellent opportunity to better …

Non-Native Non-Apis Bees Are More Abundant On Non-Native Versus Native Flowering Woody Landscape Plants, Daniel A. Potter, Bernadette M. Mach

Entomology Faculty Publications

Urban ecosystems can support diverse communities of wild native bees. Because bloom times are conserved by geographic origin, incorporating some non-invasive non-native plants in urban landscapes can extend the flowering season and help support bees and other pollinators during periods when floral resources from native plants are limiting. A caveat, though, is the possibility that non-native plants might disproportionately host non-native, potentially invasive bee species. We tested that hypothesis by identifying all non-native bees among 11,275 total bees previously collected from 45 species of flowering woody landscape plants across 213 urban sites. Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., accounted for 22% …

A Versatile Contribution Of Both Aminopeptidases N And Abc Transporters To Bt Cry1ac Toxicity In The Diamondback Moth, Dan Sun, Liuhong Zhu, Le Guo, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Zhaojiang Guo, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Biopesticides and transgenic crops based on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are extensively used to control insect pests, but the rapid evolution of insect resistance seriously threatens their effectiveness. Bt resistance is often polygenic and complex. Mutations that confer resistance occur in midgut proteins that act as cell surface receptors for the toxin, and it is thought they facilitate its assembly as a membrane-damaging pore. However, the mechanistic details of the action of Bt toxins remain controversial.

RESULTS: We have examined the contribution of two paralogous ABC transporters and two aminopeptidases N to Bt Cry1Ac toxicity in the diamondback moth, …

Mapk-Mediated Transcription Factor Gatad Contributes To Cry1ac Resistance In Diamondback Moth By Reducing Pxmalp Expression, Le Guo, Zhouqiang Cheng, Jianying Qin, Dan Sun, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Zhaojiang Guo, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

The benefits of biopesticides and transgenic crops based on the insecticidal Cry-toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are considerably threatened by insect resistance evolution, thus, deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying insect resistance to Bt products is of great significance to their sustainable utilization. Previously, we have demonstrated that the down-regulation of PxmALP in a strain of Plutella xylostella (L.) highly resistant to the Bt Cry1Ac toxin was due to a hormone-activated MAPK signaling pathway and contributed to the resistance phenotype. However, the underlying transcriptional regulatory mechanism remains enigmatic. Here, we report that the PxGATAd transcription factor (TF) is responsible for the …

Reproductive Diapause In The Ladybird Beetle Cycloneda Munda, John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Adult Cycloneda munda were collected from Fayette County, Kentucky (38.12°N, 84.54°W). Eggs were collected daily from 4 to 6 females and placed in L:D 16:8, 14:10, 12:12,10:14, at 22°C ± 1.0°C. F1 offspring were individually reared in glass vials at each photoperiod on pea aphids and Ephestia kuehniella eggs to examine the effects of photoperiod on development (Data file 1: C-munda-Dev-Times-at-LD.jmp). Comparisons of the developmental responses to the four LD treatments were made. Pairs of F1 Cycloneda munda adults were maintained at the same larval photoperiod. Pairs were fed and maintained at each photoperiod for 110 days. The date of …

Phenological And Social Characterization Of Three Lasioglossum (Dialictus) Species Inferred From Long-Term Trapping Collections, Lyllian A.-J. Corbin, David N. Awde, Miriam H. Richards

Entomology Faculty Publications

Detailed social and phenological data collected from nesting aggregations exist for relatively few sweat bee species because nesting aggregations are rarely found in large numbers, even when local populations are highly abundant. This limits researchers’ abilities to assess the social status of many species, which in turn, limits our ability to trace the sequence of evolutionary steps between alternative social states. To address this problem, we demonstrate the utility of rehydrated, pinned specimens from pan trap and netting collections for generating inferences about the phenology and social status of a well-studied sweat bee species, Lasioglossum (Dialictus) laevissimum. …

The Effects Of Boric Acid Sugar Bait On Wolbachia Trans-Infected Male Aedes Albopictus (Zap Males®) In Laboratory Conditions, Vindhya S. Aryaprema, Whitney A. Qualls, Karen L. Dobson, Stephen L. Dobson, Rui-De Xue

Entomology Faculty Publications

The field release of Wolbachia trans-infected male mosquitoes, as well as the use of toxic sugar baits, is a novel and promising candidate technique for integrated mosquito management programs. However, the methods of action of the two techniques may not be complementary, because the Wolbachia method releases mosquitoes into the environment expecting a wild population reduction in subsequent generations while the toxic baits are intended to reduce the wild population by killing mosquitoes. This laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of boric acid toxic sugar baits on Wolbachia trans-infected male Aedes albopictus, relative to wild-type Ae. albopictus …

Nondestructive Detection Of Codling Moth Infestation In Apples Using Pixel-Based Nir Hyperspectral Imaging With Machine Learning And Feature Selection, Nader Ekramirad, Alfadhl Y. Khaled, Lauren E. Doyle, Julia R. Loeb, Kevin D. Donohue, Raul T. Villanueva, Akinbode A. Adedeji

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Codling moth (CM) (Cydia pomonella L.), a devastating pest, creates a serious issue for apple production and marketing in apple-producing countries. Therefore, effective nondestructive early detection of external and internal defects in CM-infested apples could remarkably prevent postharvest losses and improve the quality of the final product. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral reflectance imaging in the wavelength range of 900–1700 nm was applied to detect CM infestation at the pixel level for three organic apple cultivars, namely Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith. An effective region of interest (ROI) acquisition procedure along with different machine learning and data processing …

Human Skin Triglycerides Prevent Bed Bug (Cimex Lectularius L.) Arrestment, Sudip Gaire, Zachary C. Devries, Russell Mick, Richard G. Santangelo, Grazia Bottillo, Emanuela Camera, Coby Schal

Entomology Faculty Publications

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have proliferated globally and have become one of the most challenging pests to control indoors. They are nocturnal and use multiple sensory cues to detect and orient towards their human hosts. After feeding, usually on a sleeping human, they return to a shelter on or around the sleeping surface, but not directly on the host. We hypothesized that although human skin odors attract hungry bed bugs, human skin compounds may also prevent arrestment on hosts. We used arrestment assays to test human skin swabs, extracts from human skin swabs, and pure compounds identified from …

Validation Of Reference Genes For Quantitative Pcr In The Forest Pest, Ips Calligraphus, Mary Wallace, Lynne K. Rieske

Entomology Faculty Publications

The six-spined ips, Ips calligraphus, is a North American bark beetle that can exploit most eastern North American Pinus species and can cause mortality. Biotic and abiotic disturbances weaken trees, creating breeding substrate that promotes rapid population growth. Management historically relied on silvicultural practices, but as forests become increasingly stressed, innovative management is needed. Manipulation of the cellular RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to induce gene silencing is an emerging means of insect suppression, and is effective for some bark beetles. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a powerful tool for analysis of gene expression, and is essential for examining RNAi. To …

Dwarf White Clover Supports Pollinators, Augments Nitrogen In Clover-Turfgrass Lawns, And Suppresses Root-Feeding Grubs In Monoculture But Not In Mixed Swards, Daniel A. Potter, Carl T. Redmond, Timothy D. Mcnamara, Gregg C. Munshaw

Entomology Faculty Publications

The runoff or leaching of nitrogen fertilizers from monoculture turfgrass lawns contri-butes to water pollution, and such lawns are susceptible to insect pests and provide few resources for pollinators. One approach to creating more sustainable lawns is to incorporate white clover (Trifolium repens L.), a nitrogen-fixing legume, into grass seed mixtures or existing turfgrass swards. “Dutch” white clover (DWC), a ubiquitous landrace, forms non-uniform clumps when intermixed with turfgrasses, thus it is often considered to be a lawn weed. Recently, several dwarf varieties of white clover have been selected for their small leaf size and low growth habit, allowing …

Irreproducibility In Searches Of Scientific Literature: A Comparative Analysis, Gábor Pozsgai, Gábor L. Lövei, Liette Vasseur, Geoff Gurr, Péter Batáry, János Korponai, Nick A. Littlewood, Jian Liu, Arnold Móra, John J. Obrycki, Olivia Reynolds, Jenni A. Stockan, Heather Vanvolkenburg, Jie Zhang, Wenwu Zhou, Minsheng You

Entomology Faculty Publications

1. Repeatability is the cornerstone of science, and it is particularly important for systematic reviews. However, little is known on how researchers’ choice of database, and search platform influence the repeatability of systematic reviews. Here, we aim to unveil how the computer environment and the location where the search was initiated from influence hit results.
2. We present a comparative analysis of time-synchronized searches at different institutional locations in the world and evaluate the consistency of hits obtained within each of the search terms using different search platforms.
3. We revealed a large variation among search platforms and showed that PubMed and Scopus …

Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase Overexpression And Low Oxygen Conditioning Hormesis Improve The Performance Of Irradiated Sterile Males, Vanessa S. Dias, Carlos Cáceres, Andrew G. Parker, Rui Pereira, Güler Demirbas-Uzel, Adly M. M. Abd-Alla, Nicholas M. Teets, Marc F. Schetelig, Alfred M. Handler, Daniel A. Hahn

Entomology Faculty Publications

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a successful autocidal control method that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize insects. However, irradiation in normal atmospheric conditions can be damaging for males, because irradiation generates substantial biological oxidative stress that, combined with domestication and mass-rearing conditions, may reduce sterile male sexual competitiveness and quality. In this study, biological oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity were experimentally manipulated in Anastrepha suspensa using a combination of low-oxygen conditions and transgenic overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) to evaluate their role in the sexual behavior and quality of irradiated males. Our results showed that SOD2 overexpression enhances …

The Regulation Landscape Of Mapk Signaling Cascade For Thwarting Bacillus Thuringiensis Infection In An Insect Host, Zhaojiang Guo, Shi Kang, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Host-pathogen interactions are central components of ecological networks where the MAPK signaling pathways act as central hubs of these complex interactions. We have previously shown that an insect hormone modulated MAPK signaling cascade participates as a general switch to trans-regulate differential expression of diverse midgut genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) to cope with the insecticidal action of Cry1Ac toxin, produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The relationship between topology and functions of this four-tiered phosphorylation signaling cascade, however, is an uncharted territory. Here, we carried out a genome-wide characterization of all the MAPK orthologs …

Bee Assemblages Data [2021], Daniel A. Potter, Bernadette M. Mach

Entomology Research Data

Plant characteristics, sample sites, and non-native bee assemblages for a bee survey conducted in 2014-2017 by Bernadette Mach in the Daniel A. Potter lab at the University of Kentucky.

Persistence Of The Exotic Mirid Nesidiocoris Tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) In South Texas, Gabriela Esparza-Diaz, Thiago Marconi, Carlos A. Avila, Raul T. Villanueva

Entomology Faculty Publications

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the U.S and is located in the southernmost part of Texas. In October 2013, we detected an exotic plant bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) occurring in the region. Nesidiocoris tenuis has zoophytophagous habits; however, in the absence of insect prey, it feeds on its plant hosts. After its morphological and genetic identification, this study monitored the population of N. tenuis in its introduction phase in commercial fields and corroborated its establishment in research fields for three years. Populations of N. tenuis were high during the …

Editorial: Invertebrate Neuroscience: Contributions From Model And Non-Model Species, Maria P. Fernandez, Clare C. Rittschof, Jimena A. Sierralta

Entomology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Integrated Analysis Of Microrna And Mrna Transcriptome Reveals The Molecular Mechanism Of Solanum Lycopersicum Response To Bemisia Tabaci And Tomato Chlorosis Virus, Hao Yue, Li-Ping Huang, Ding-Li-Hui Lu, Zhan-Hong Zhang, Zhuo Zhang, De-Yong Zhang, Li-Min Zheng, Yang Gao, Xin-Qiu Tan, Xuguo Zhou, Xiao-Bin Shi, Yong Liu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), is one of the most devastating cultivated tomato viruses, seriously threatened the growth of crops worldwide. As the vector of ToCV, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean (MED) is mainly responsible for the rapid spread of ToCV. The current understanding of tomato plant responses to this virus and B. tabaci is very limited. To understand the molecular mechanism of the interaction between tomato, ToCV and B. tabaci, we adopted a next-generation sequencing approach to decipher miRNAs and mRNAs that are differentially expressed under the infection of B. tabaci and ToCV in tomato plants. Our data revealed …

Host Phylogeny And Diet Shape Gut Microbial Communities Within Bamboo-Feeding Insects, Kuanguan Huang, Jie Wang, Junhao Huang, Shouke Zhang, Alfried P. Vogler, Quanquan Liu, Yongchun Li, Maowei Yang, You Li, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome plays an important role in a host’s development and adaption to its dietary niche. In this study, a group of bamboo-feeding insects are used to explore the potential role of the gut microbiota in the convergent adaptation to extreme diet specialization. Specifically, using a 16S rRNA marker and an Illumina sequencing platform, we profiled the microbial communities of 76 gut samples collected from nine bamboo-feeding insects, including both hemimetabolous (Orthoptera and Hemiptera) and holometabolous (Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) species, which are specialized in three distinct dietary niches: bamboo leaf, shoot, and sap. The gut microbiota of these insects …

A Cis-Acting Mutation In The Pxabcg1 Promoter Is Associated With Cry1ac Resistance In Plutella Xylostella (L.), Jianying Qin, Fan Ye, Linzheng Xu, Xuguo Zhou, Neil Crickmore, Xiaomao Zhou, Youjun Zhang, Zhaojiang Guo

Entomology Faculty Publications

The molecular mechanisms of insect resistance to Cry toxins generated from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) urgently need to be elucidated to enable the improvement and sustainability of Bt-based products. Although downregulation of the expression of midgut receptor genes is a pivotal mechanism of insect resistance to Bt Cry toxins, the underlying transcriptional regulation of these genes remains elusive. Herein, we unraveled the regulatory mechanism of the downregulation of the ABC transporter gene PxABCG1 (also called Pxwhite), a functional midgut receptor of the Bt Cry1Ac toxin in Plutella xylostella. The PxABCG1 promoters of Cry1Ac-susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant strains were …

Insects Provide Unique Systems To Investigate How Early-Life Experience Alters The Brain And Behavior, Rebecca R. Westwick, Clare C. Rittschof

Entomology Faculty Publications

Early-life experiences have strong and long-lasting consequences for behavior in a surprising diversity of animals. Determining which environmental inputs cause behavioral change, how this information becomes neurobiologically encoded, and the functional consequences of these changes remain fundamental puzzles relevant to diverse fields from evolutionary biology to the health sciences. Here we explore how insects provide unique opportunities for comparative study of developmental behavioral plasticity. Insects have sophisticated behavior and cognitive abilities, and they are frequently studied in their natural environments, which provides an ecological and adaptive perspective that is often more limited in lab-based vertebrate models. A range of cues, …

Changes In Both Trans- And Cis-Regulatory Elements Mediate Insecticide Resistance In A Lepidopteron Pest, Spodoptera Exigua, Bo Hu, He Huang, Songzhu Hu, Miaomiao Ren, Qi Wei, Xiangrui Tian, Mohammed Esmail Abdalla Elzaki, Chris Bass, Jianya Su, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

The evolution of insect resistance to insecticides is frequently associated with overexpression of one or more cytochrome P450 enzyme genes. Although overexpression of CYP450 genes is a well-known mechanism of insecticide resistance, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we uncovered the mechanisms of overexpression of the P450 gene, CYP321A8 in a major pest insect, Spodoptera exigua that is resistant to multiple insecticides. CYP321A8 confers resistance to organophosphate (chlorpyrifos) and pyrethroid (cypermethrin and deltamethrin) insecticides in this insect. Constitutive upregulation of transcription factors CncC/Maf are partially responsible for upregulated expression of CYP321A8 in the resistant strain. Reporter gene assays …

Spatio-Temporal Selection Of Reference Genes In The Two Congeneric Species Of Glycyrrhiza, Yuping Li, Xiaoju Liang, Xuguo Zhou, Yu An, Ming Li, Ling Yuan, Yongqing Li, Ying Wang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Glycyrrhiza, a genus of perennial medicinal herbs, has been traditionally used to treat human diseases, including respiratory disorders. Functional analysis of genes involved in the synthesis, accumulation, and degradation of bioactive compounds in these medicinal plants requires accurate measurement of their expression profiles. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) is a primary tool, which requires stably expressed reference genes to serve as the internal references to normalize the target gene expression. In this study, the stability of 14 candidate reference genes from the two congeneric species G. uralensis and G. inflata, including ACT, CAC, CYP, …

De Novo Whole Genome Assembly Of The Swede Midge (Contarinia Nasturtii), A Specialist Of Brassicaceae, Using Linked-Read Sequencing, Boyd A. Mori, Cathy Coutu, Yolanda H. Chen, Erin O. Campbell, Julian R. Dupuis, Martin A. Erlandson, Dwayne D. Hegedus

Entomology Faculty Publications

The swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii, is a cecidomyiid fly that feeds specifically on plants within the Brassicaceae. Plants in this family employ a glucosinolate-myrosinase defense system, which can be highly toxic to non-specialist feeders. Feeding by C. nasturtii larvae induces gall formation, which can cause substantial yield losses thus making it a significant agricultural pest. A lack of genomic resources, in particular a reference genome, has limited deciphering the mechanisms underlying glucosinolate tolerance in C. nasturtii, which is of particular importance for managing this species. Here, we present an annotated, scaffolded reference genome of C. nasturtii using linked-read …

Stage-Specific Action Of Juvenile Hormone Analogs, Ramaseshadri Parthasarathy, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

The discovery of juvenile hormones (JH) and their synthetic analogs (JHA) generated excitement and hope that these compounds will replace first- and second-generation insecticides that have not so desirable environmental and human safety profiles. However, JHAs used commercially during the past four decades did not meet these expectations. The recent availability of advanced molecular and histological methods and the discovery of key players involved in JH action provided some insights into the functioning of JHA in a stage and species-specific manner. In this review, we will summarize recent findings and stage-specific action of JHA, focusing on three commercially used JHA, …

Physical Mapping Of The Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) Darlingi Genomic Scaffolds, Míriam Silva Rafael, Leticia Cegatti Bridi, Igor V. Sharakhov, Osvaldo Marinotti, Maria V. Sharakhova, Vladimir A. Timoshevskiy, Giselle Moura Guimarães-Marques, Valéria Silva Santos, Carlos Gustavo Nunes Da Silva, Spartaco Astolfi-Filho, Wanderli Pedro Tadei

Biology Faculty Publications

The genome assembly of Anopheles darlingi consists of 2221 scaffolds (N50 = 115,072 bp) and has a size spanning 136.94 Mbp. This assembly represents one of the smallest genomes among Anopheles species. Anopheles darlingi genomic DNA fragments of ~37 Kb were cloned, end-sequenced, and used as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with salivary gland polytene chromosomes. In total, we mapped nine DNA probes to scaffolds and autosomal arms. Comparative analysis of the An. darlingi scaffolds with homologous sequences of the Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles gambiae genomes identified chromosomal rearrangements among these species. Our results confirmed that physical mapping …

Aphid Endosymbiont Facilitates Virus Transmission By Modulating The Volatile Profile Of Host Plants, Xiao-Bin Shi, Shuo Yan, Chi Zhang, Li-Min Zheng, Zhan-Hong Zhang, Shu-E Sun, Yang Gao, Xin-Qiu Tan, De-Yong Zhang, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Most plant viruses rely on vectors for their transmission and spread. One of the outstanding biological questions concerning the vector-pathogen-symbiont multi-trophic interactions is the potential involvement of vector symbionts in the virus transmission process. Here, we used a multi-factorial system containing a non-persistent plant virus, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), its primary vector, green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, and the obligate endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola to explore this uncharted territory.

RESULTS: Based on our preliminary research, we hypothesized that aphid endosymbiont B. aphidicola can facilitate CMV transmission by modulating plant volatile profiles. Gene expression analyses demonstrated that CMV infection reduced …

Tomato Chlorosis Virus Infection Facilitates Bemisia Tabaci Med Reproduction By Elevating Vitellogenin Expression, Liping Huang, Xiaobin Shi, Jizhe Shi, Zhuo Zhang, Yong Fang, Zhanhong Zhang, Qiuyi Pan, Limin Zheng, Yang Gao, Deyong Zhang, Xinqiu Tan, Yong Liu, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

Transmission of plant pathogenic viruses mostly relies on insect vectors. Plant virus could enhance its transmission by modulating the vector. Previously, we showed that feeding on virus infected plants can promote the reproduction of the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MED (Q biotype). In this study, using a whitefly-Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV)-tomato system, we investigated how ToCV modulates B. tabaci MED reproduction to facilitate its spread. Here, we hypothesized that ToCV-infected tomato plants would increase B. tabaci MED fecundity via elevated vitellogenin (Vg) gene expression. As a result, fecundity and the relative expression of B. tabaci MED Vg …