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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312686
Title: Transcriptional profiling of resistant and susceptible buffalograsses in response to Blissus occiduus (Hemiptera: Blissidae) feeding

Author
item RAMM, CRYSTAL - University Of Nebraska
item WACHHOLTZ, MICHAEL - University Of Nebraska
item AMUNDSEN, KEENAN - University Of Nebraska
item DONZE-REINER, TERESA - University Of Nebraska
item HENG-MOSS, TIFFANY - University Of Nebraska
item TWIGG, PAUL - University Of Nebraska
item Palmer, Nathan - Nate
item Sarath, Gautam
item BAXENDAL, FRED - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/2014
Publication Date: 12/14/2014
Citation: Ramm, C., Wachholtz, M., Amundsen, K., Donze-Reiner, T., Heng-Moss, T., Twigg, P., Palmer, N.A., Sarath, G., Baxendal, F. 2014. Transcriptional profiling of resistant and susceptible buffalograsses in response to Blissus occiduus (Hemiptera: Blissidae) feeding. Journal of Economic Entomology. 108: 1354-1362.

Interpretive Summary: Plants are sessile organisms that can experience attack by several insect pests. Since plants cannot escape by moving, they have evolved a number of means to avoid or mitigate herbivory by insects. Understanding these plant mechanisms at the molecular level can provide data on (a) specific metabolism or cellular pathways that are used for defense and (b) provide targets that can be used to score germplasm as resistant or susceptible to a particular pest. In the longer term, these data can be used to develop breeding strategies to produce plants with improved resistance to insects. Here we have studied the buffalograss x chinchbug interactions using next generation sequencing technologies. Buffalograss is a US native perennial grass that is used as a turf species. Chinchbugs are piercing-sucking insects that can cause extensive damage to buffalograss turfs. Using a resistant and susceptible buffalograss line, it was possible to identify several plant genes that were specifically turned-on or turned-off during the course of infestation with chinchbugs. These data provide additional clues into the cellular mechanisms that impact buffalograss responses to chinchbugs, and will be used to select buffalograss germplasm with improved resistance to this insect pest.

Technical Abstract: Understanding plant resistance mechanisms at a molecular level would provide valuable insights into the biological pathways impacted by insect feeding, and help explain specific plant tolerance mechanisms. As a first step in this process, we conducted next generation sequencing using RNA extracted from chinch bug-tolerant and -susceptible buffalograss genotypes at 7 and 14 d after chinch bug feeding. Sequence descriptions and gene ontology terms were assigned to 1,701 differentially expressed genes. Defense-related transcripts were differentially expressed within the chinch bug-tolerant buffalograss, Prestige, and susceptible buffalograss, 378. Interestingly, four peroxidase transcripts had higher basal expression in tolerant control plants compared to susceptible control plants. Defense-related transcripts, including two peroxidase genes, two catalase genes, several cytochrome P450 transcripts, a glutathione s-transferase and a WRKY gene were upregulated within the Prestige transcriptome in response to chinch bug feeding. The majority of observed transcripts with oxidoreductase activity, including nine peroxidase genes and a catalase gene, were downregulated in 378 in response to initial chinch bug feeding. The observed difference in transcript expression between these two buffalograss genotypes provides insight into the mechanism(s) of resistance, specifically buffalograss tolerance to chinch bug feeding.