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Title: Implications of the Tribolium genome project for pest biology

Author
item Beeman, Richard
item ARAKANE, YASUYUKI - Kansas State University
item PHILLIPS, THOMAS - Kansas State University
item MUTHUKRISHNAN, SUBBARATNAM - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Stored Products Protection International Working Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/23/2010
Publication Date: 12/9/2010
Citation: Beeman, R.W., Arakane, Y., Phillips, T.W., Muthukrishnan, S. 2010. Implications of the Tribolium genome project for pest biology. In: Stored Products Protection International Working Conference Proceedings, June 27 - July 2, 2010, Estoril, Portugal. p. 63-71.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The universal availability of the complete Tribolium castaneum genome sequence assembly and annotation and concomitant development of the versatile Tribolium genome browser, BeetleBase (http://beetlebase.org/) open new realms of possibility for stored-product pest control by greatly simplifying the task of connecting biology and behavior with underlying molecular mechanisms. This genome has enabled sequence similarity searches that have resulted in a flood of new discovery involving thousands of genes with important functions in digestion, osmoregulation, metamorphosis, olfaction, xenobiotic metabolism, vision, and embryonic and larval growth and development. The value of the T. castaneum genome sequence is greatly enhanced by the availability of a sophisticated functional genomic toolkit for laboratory studies of this insect. These tools include high-resolution physical and genetic maps, genomic and cDNA libraries, balancer chromosomes, and effective and reliable techniques for specific knockout of any target gene via RNA interference (RNAi). In this paper we briefly discuss just two areas of Tribolium biology research that are being revitalized by the availability of the genome sequence, namely olfaction and exoskeleton, or “smell and skin”.