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Title: The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Bactericera cockerelli and its comparison with three other psylloidea species

Author
item WU, F - South China Agricultural University
item DENG, X - South China Agricultural University
item Wallis, Christopher
item TRUMBLE, J - University Of California
item PRAGER, S - University Of California
item Yokomi, Raymond - Ray
item LIANG, G - South China Agricultural University
item CEN, Y - South China Agricultural University
item Chen, Jianchi

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2016
Publication Date: 5/26/2016
Citation: Wu, F., Deng, X., Wallis, C.M., Trumble, J., Prager, S., Yokomi, R.K., Liang, G., Cen, Y., Chen, J. 2016. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Bactericera cockerelli and its comparison with three other psylloidea species. PLoS One. 11(5):e0155318. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155318.

Interpretive Summary: Potato psyllids (Bactericera cockerelli) are serious pests of potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers in North America. Key to effective, long-term management strategies for this and similar insects is an understanding of population diversity, since different populations might require different thresholds for control. Therefore, the potato psyllid mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) was sequenced, analyzed, and compared to that of insects in the same family. The analyses identified regions and genetic markers now available for use in future studies of variation between psyllid populations. This will allow further clarification of distinct potato psyllid populations and for subsequent evaluations of management options on each to proceed accordingly.

Technical Abstract: Potato-tomato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is an important pest of potatoes, tomato and peppers. A toxin secreted by nymphs results in serious phytotoxemia in some host plants. Over the past few years, B. cockerelli was shown to transmit “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum”, the putative bacterial pathogen of potato zebra chip (ZC) disease, to potato and tomato. ZC has caused devastating losses to potato production in the western U.S., Mexico, and elsewhere. New knowledge of the genetic diversity of B. cockerelli is needed to develop improved strategies to manage pest populations. Mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing is one tool to provide important knowledge about insect evolution and diversity in and among populations. This report provides the first complete B. cockerelli mitogenome sequence as determined by next generation sequencing technology (Illumina MiSeq). The circular B. cockerelli mitogenome consisted of 15,220 bp with 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and a non-coding region of 975 bp. The gene order of the B. cockerelli mitogenome was identical to three other published Psylloidea mitogenomes from Triozidae: Paratrioza sinica and Psyllidae: Cacopsylla coccinea and Pachypsylla venusta, suggesting all of these species share a common ancestral mitogenome. However, sequence analyses revealed differences between and among insect families, in particular a unique region that can be folded into three stem-loop secondary structures present only within the B. cockerelli mitogenome. A phylogenetic tree, including four members of Psylloidea, was constructed based on codon positions 1 and 2 from the 13 coding genes. The resulting mitogenome tree matched an existing taxonomy scheme based on morphology.