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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #339581
Title: Transcriptome changes occurred in the whitefly, B. tabaci MEAM1 in response to feeding on melon infected with the crinivirus, CYSDV

Author
item Kaur, Navneet
item CHEN, WENBO - Boyce Thompson Institute
item FEI, ZHANGJUN - Boyce Thompson Institute
item Wintermantel, William - Bill

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), a crinivirus transmitted by the whitefly, B. tabaci, causes widespread losses in melon in many parts of the world. The virus emerged in the southwestern United States (Arizona and California) and western Mexico in 2006 and rapidly became established in local crops and weeds, from which it is transmitted to cucurbits by the resident population of B. tabaci MEAM1 each year. CYSDV can be retained for seven to nine days in the whitefly vector. In order to understand the specific interactions between B. tabaci and CYSDV, transcriptome analysis was performed on whiteflies following whitefly feeding on CYSDV-infected melon leaves at three different time points, 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days. Of the 15,664 genes present in the whitefly, B. tabaci MEAM1, 275 genes were differentially expressed in the whiteflies in response to feeding on CYSDV-infected melon host plants over the three time points. Transcriptome analysis of the whiteflies identified a temporal shift in gene expression, with only 3 down-regulated genes at 24 h, followed by higher numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 72 h (221 DEGs: 82 up-regulated and 139 down-regulated), and 7 days (51 DEGs: 49 up-regulated and 2 down-regulated). Several distinct gene categories were represented among the DEGs in the whiteflies. As was found in previous studies involving Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), a large number of the 275 total DEGs (74) were orphan genes that are unique to the whitefly, B. tabaci, MEAM1 and do not show any homology to known genes in other species. Further, we found 59 common DEGs between whiteflies fed on CYSDV-infected melon and ToCV-infected tomato plants.

Technical Abstract: CYSDV, a crinivirus transmitted by the whitefly, B. tabaci, causes widespread losses in melon and other cucurbits. The virus emerged in the southwestern United States in 2006. It established in crops and weeds, and is transmitted to cucurbits by the resident population of B. tabaci MEAM1 each year. CYSDV has a semipersistent mode of transmission and can be retained for seven to nine days in the whitefly vector. In order to understand the specific interactions between B. tabaci and CYSDV, RNA-Seq was performed on whiteflies following acquisition feeding on CYSDV-infected melon leaves at three different time points, 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days. Of the 15,664 genes present in the whitefly, B. tabaci MEAM1, 275 genes were differentially expressed in the whiteflies in response to feeding on CYSDV-infected melon host plants over the three time points. Transcriptome analysis of the whiteflies identified a temporal shift in gene expression, with only 3 down-regulated genes at 24 h, followed by higher numbers of genes differentially expressed at 72 h (221 DEGs: 82 up-regulated and 139 down-regulated), and 7 days (51 DEGs: 49 up-regulated and 2 down-regulated). Several distinct gene categories were represented among the DEGs in the whiteflies. Interestingly, 59 DEGs were common between whiteflies fed on CYSDV-infected melon with those fed on ToCV-infected tomato plants including several cathepsins, a-glucosidase, and a glucose transporter, as well as many unknown genes.