Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #265967

Title: New approach for the study of mite reproduction: the first transcriptome analysis of a mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Author
item Cabrera Cordon, Ana
item DONOHUE, KEVIN - North Carolina State University
item KHALIL, SAYED - North Carolina State University
item SCHOLL, ELIZABETH - North Carolina State University
item OPPERMAN, CHARLES - North Carolina State University
item SONENSHINE, DDANIEL - Old Dominion University
item ROE, R - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2010
Publication Date: 2/20/2011
Citation: Cabrera Cordon, A.R., Donohue, K.V., Khalil, S.M., Scholl, E., Opperman, C., Sonenshine, D.E., Roe, R.M. 2011. New approach for the study of mite reproduction: the first transcriptome analysis of a mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Journal of Insect Physiology. 57:52-61.

Interpretive Summary: Many species of mites and ticks are of agricultural and medical importance. Much can be learned from gene sequences from these pests to develop new control methods. Scientists at CMAVE, North Carolina State University, Old Dominium University and Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute studied gene sequences of a predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis. They described the gene sequences of this mite and selected yolk protein genes for further study. They found that these genes are not completely female specific. This is important because yolk protein genes are usually found only in female adults. The fact that these genes are present in both sexes and all life stages suggests that molecular pesticides based on RNai sequencing of yolk proteins could be developed for this species.

Technical Abstract: Many species of mites and ticks are of agricultural and medical importance. Much can be learned from the study of transcriptomes of acarines which can generate DNA-sequence information of potential target genes for the control of acarine pests. High throughput transcriptome sequencing can also yield sequences of genes critical during physiological processes poorly understood in acarines, i.e., the regulation of female reproduction in mites. The predatory mite, Phtoseiulus persimilis, was selected to conduct a transcriptome analyssis using 454 pyrosequencing. The objective of this project was to obtain DNA-sequence information of expresseds genes from P. persimilis with special interest in sequences corresponding to vitellogensis (Vg) and the vitellogenin receptor (VgR). These genes are critical to the understanding of vitellogensis, and they will facilitate the study of the regulation of mite female reproduction. A total of 12,556 contiguous sequences (contigs) were assembled with an average size of 935bp. From these sequences, the putative translated peptides of 11 contigs were similar in amino acid sequences to other arthropod Vgs, while 6 were similar to VgRs. We selected some of these sequences to conduct stage-specific expressions studies to further determine their function.