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Title: Comparative transcriptome analysis in Bemisia tabaci in response to tomato yellow leaf curl virus and development of ribonucleic acid interference to manage whitefly-transmitted viruses

Author
item HASEGAWA, DANIEL - Boyce Thompson Institute
item CHEN, WENBO - Boyce Thompson Institute
item Kaur, Navneet
item Wintermantel, William - Bill
item Simmons, Alvin
item FEI, ZHANGJUN - Boyce Thompson Institute
item Ling, Kai-Shu

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2015
Publication Date: 2/14/2016
Citation: Hasegawa, D.K., Chen, W., Kaur, N., Wintermantel, W.M., Simmons, A.M., Fei, Z., Ling, K. 2016. Comparative transcriptome analysis in Bemisia tabaci in response to tomato yellow leaf curl virus and development of ribonucleic acid interference to manage whitefly-transmitted viruses. 2nd International Whitefly Symposium. p77.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci transmits over 300 plant viruses, with the majority of them belonging to the Begomovirus genus. Begomoviruses are obligately transmitted to a wide range of agriculture crops, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars annually, while jeopardizing food security worldwide. Several begomoviruses have emerged as being especially devastating, including tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Although the utilization of pesticides has helped manage whiteflies, there is an increasing need to develop novel strategies that can effectively control whitefly populations, especially in regions where continuous pesticide applications on a large scale are impractical. Here, we present two pieces of data: 1) whitefly transcriptome analysis during the first three days (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h) of TYLCV acquisition, and 2) the potential for using RNA interference to manage whiteflies and begomovirus transmission. Our transcriptome data revealed differential expression of 41 genes at 24 h, 7 genes at 48 h, and 32 genes at 72 h, in which we identified candidate receptors, transporters, and other mechanisms that may be involved in TYLCV transmission. For the RNA interference studies, using artificial diet and in planta delivery systems of double stranded RNAs against whitefly genes, we saw variation in whitefly mortality among our constructs, with some being more effective than the others, and provides incentive for further testing using practical delivery systems. Together, these studies have implications for understanding fundamental whitefly-begomovirus interactions, while shedding light on new whitefly management strategies that could be used to fight begomovirus outbreaks.