Project description:The western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is an important pest of corn (Zea mays) in the US. Annual crop rotation between corn and soybean (Glycine max) disrupts the corn-dependent WCR lifecycle and was widely adopted to manage WCR. However, this strategy selected for a rotation-resistant (RR) variant with reduced ovipositional fidelity to cornfields. Previous studies indicated that RR-WCR adults exhibit greater tolerance of soybean tissue diet, different gut physiology, and host-microbe interactions compared to wild-types (WT). To identify genetic mechanisms underlying these phenotypic changes, a de novo assembly of the WCR adult gut transcriptome was constructed and used for RNA-sequencing analyses on RNA libraries from different WCR phenotypes (RR and WT) fed with corn or soybean diets. Differential gene expression analyses and network-based methods were used to identify gene modules transcriptionally correlated with the RR phenotype. Gene ontology enrichment analyses on these modules were then conducted to understand their potential functions and biological importance.
Project description:The biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis cause common smut in maize, and lead to gall formation on all aerial organs, especially on maize kernel thus reduce yield. The interaction of U. maydis with maize is a well-established model to study the interaction between maize and biotrophic pathogen. U. maydis infection could activate host immune responses including: ROS accumulation, protease activation, salicylic acid signaling. U. maydis employ several strategies to overcome maize immune response, thus initial the biotrophic interaction with host. It has been suggested that genetic factors of maize host affected the disease severity of U. maydis infection, here we investigated the transcriptome profile of resistance and susceptible maize lines upon U. maydis infection, thus propose candidate maize genes involved in the defense response in maize to corn smut cause by U. maydis.
2021-04-15 | GSE172071 | GEO
Project description:Microbiome composition of adult western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) and northern corn rootworm (Diabrotica barberi)
Project description:The western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is an important pest of corn (Zea mays) in the US. Annual crop rotation between corn and soybean (Glycine max) disrupts the corn-dependent WCR lifecycle and was widely adopted to manage WCR. However, this strategy selected for a rotation-resistant (RR) variant with reduced ovipositional fidelity to cornfields. Previous studies indicated that RR-WCR adults exhibit greater tolerance of soybean tissue diet, different gut physiology, and host-microbe interactions compared to wild-types (WT). To identify genetic mechanisms underlying these phenotypic changes, a de novo assembly of the WCR adult gut transcriptome was constructed and used for RNA-sequencing analyses on RNA libraries from different WCR phenotypes (RR and WT) fed with corn or soybean diets. Differential gene expression analyses and network-based methods were used to identify gene modules transcriptionally correlated with the RR phenotype. Gene ontology enrichment analyses on these modules were then conducted to understand their potential functions and biological importance. Differential gene expression analyses on RNA libraries from adult guts of different WCR phenotypes (rotation-resistant and wild-type) fed with corn or soybean diets
Project description:Native host plant insect resistance in the maize inbred line Mp708 was developed by traditional plant breeding. Resistant Mp708 thwarts feeding by fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda [J.E. Smith]; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), numerous other lepidopteran pests, and the coleopteran western corn rootworm. This broad resistance makes it an excellent model for studying native host plant resistance mechanisms. In response to caterpillar feeding, Mp708 rapidly mobilizes Mir1-CP, a unique cysteine protease that appears to translocate from roots to the maize midwhorl where it accumulates. This accumulation correlates with a significant reduction in caterpillar growth resulting from diminished food utilization. In addition, the peritrophic membrane (PM) that surrounds the food bolus in the mudgut (MG) is severely damaged in caterpillars fed on sweet corn callus transformed to express the gene encoding Mir1-CP or on midwhorl tissue from resistant Mp708 maize. Functions of the PM include assisting digestion and protecting the epithelium of the caterpillar MG from physical and chemical damage. Consequently, the reduced growth of caterpillars that feed on Mp708 is probably due to the action of Mir1-CP on PM physiology. In fact, previous in vitro studies indicated that Mir1-CP was capable of permeabilizing the PM. The present study used both targeted (qRT-PCR) and global (mRNA-seq) transcriptome analyses to explore the effect of eating Mir1-CP expressing Mp708 maize on abundance of transcripts in the MG of fall armyworm larvae in comparison to MGs from larvae fed on susceptible Tx601 maize that does not express Mir1-CP. Expression of genes encoding proteins involved in PM production is upregulated in MGs from fall armyworm fed on Mp708. Also, several digestive enzymes (endopeptidases, aminopeptidases, lipases, amylase) were more highly expressed in MGs from larvae fed on Mp708 than MGs from larvae fed on Tx601. Impaired growth of larvae fed on Mp708 probably results from metabolic costs associated with higher production of PM constituents and digestive enzymes in a compensatory attempt to maintain MG function.
2012-12-01 | GSE42659 | GEO
Project description:Genome sequencing of Diabrotica virgifera (Western corn rootworm) adult principal pseudohaplotype
| PRJNA866607 | ENA
Project description:Role of epigenetics on western corn rootworm adaptation to environmental chemical stressors
Project description:As a response to insect attack, maize (Zea mays) has inducible defenses that involve large changes in gene expression and metabolism. Piercing/sucking insects such as corn leaf aphids (Rhopalosiphum maidis) cause direct damage by acquiring phloem nutrients as well as indirect damage through the transmission of plant viruses. To elucidate the metabolic processes and gene expression changes involved in maize responses to aphid attack, leaves of inbred line B73 were infested with R. maidis for two to 96 hours.