Transcriptomic resources for Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister), a widespread invasive pest of Brassicales

Authors: Sparks, Michael; NELSON, DAVID - University Of Tennessee; Harrison, Robert - Bob; Larson, Nicholas; Kuhar, Daniel; Haber, Ariela; HERAGHTY, SAM - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); REBHOLZ, ZARLEY - Virginia Tech; THOLL, DORTHEA - Virginia Tech; GRETTENBERGER, IAN - University Of California; Weber, Donald; Gundersen-Rindal, Dawn

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/30/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, has the potential to become a very serious agricultural nuisance insect in the southwestern United States, as well as in such agricultural trading partners of the United States as Mexico and Chile, as well as various countries located in Africa, South Asia and Mediterranean areas of Europe. An improved understanding of the bagrada bug's gene space would be beneficial towards realizing its capacity for developing insecticide resistance, in identifying viruses that may be present throughout its population and in identifying genes differentially expressed across life stages that could be utilized in environmentally friendly biomolecular pesticide formulations. In this work, the authors established biological sequence libraries for bagrada bug egg mass, 2nd and 4th larval instars, and male and female adults. Three gene families often implicated in pesticide metabolism—glutathione S-transferases, carboxylesterases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases—were characterized. The data were also screened for potential RNAi- and virus-related content. Lastly, the data were compared with previously published results for the two closely related pentatomid species, brown marmorated stink bug and harlequin bug, to identify shared enzymatic components of terpene-based biosynthetic pathways involved in the production of sex pheromones in this species. This information will be used by scientists and industry interested in Bagrada management or control.

Technical Abstract: "The bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister), is an emerging agricultural pest in the Americas, threatening agricultural production in the southwestern United States, Mexico and Chile, as well as in the Old World (including Africa, South Asia and, more recently, Mediterranean areas of Europe). Substantive transcriptomic sequence resources for this damaging species would be beneficial towards understanding its capacity for developing insecticide resistance, identifying viruses that may be present throughout its population and identifying genes differentially expressed across life stages that could be exploited for biomolecular pesticide formulations. This study establishes B. hilaris transcriptomic resources for eggs, 2nd and 4th larval instars, as well as male and female adults. Three gene families involved in xenobiotic detoxification—glutathione S-transferases, carboxylesterases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases—were phylogenetically characterized. These data were also qualitatively compared with previously published results for two closely related pentatomid species—the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), and the harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn)—to elucidate shared enzymatic components of terpene-based sex pheromone biosynthetic pathways. Lastly, the sequence data were screened for potential RNAi- and virus-related content and for genes implicated in insect growth and development."