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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #174833
Title: FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS ANALYSIS OF TOMATO PLANT RESPONSE TO WHITEFLY FEEDING

Author
item McKenzie, Cindy
item SINISTERRA, XIOMARA - UNIV OF FL
item POWELL, CHARLES - UNIV OF FL
item Albano, Joseph
item Bausher, Michael
item Shatters, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: Florida Entomological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/2004
Publication Date: 7/25/2004
Citation: Mckenzie, C.L., Sinisterra, X.H., Powell, C.A., Albano, J.P., Bausher, M.G., Shatters, R.G. 2004. Functional genomics analysis of tomato plant response to whitefly feeding. Florida Entomological Society Annual Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Gene array technology was applied to tomato as a model system to examine plant physiological response to silverleaf whitefly (SLW), Bemisia argentifolii (a.k.a. Bemisia tabaci biotype B) feeding. Our objective was to study gene expression in tomato plants subjected to a moderate infestation of whitefly. Plants were destructively harvested 25 days after infestation and samples of old and young leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruit from tomato with and without whitefly were processed for nutritional analysis and RNA extraction for microarray analysis. RNA was labeled and hybridized to the gene array membrane to determine which genes SLW feeding influences. At 25 days after infestation, no discernable differences could be detected between plants with and without whitefly with the exception of uninfested plants possessing more flower buds. Whitefly pressure at harvest was moderate: 0.25 eggs per 50 mm2, 0.04 nymphs per 50 mm2 and 0.52 adult whiteflies per leaflet. Plant nutritional profiles for plants with and without whitefly were not significantly different and were adequate for tomato production.