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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #432625
Research Project: Management and Biology of Insect and Nematode Pests and their Vectored Plant Pathogens

Location: Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research

Title: Genome-wide association and holobiont analysis of Diaphorina citri: Examining genetics underlying vector capacity of the Huanglongbing insect vector

Author
item STUEHLER, DOUGLAS - University Of Florida
item Buckler Iv, Edward
item CORADETTI, SAMUEL - Boyce Thompson Institute
item CANO, LILIANA - University Of Florida
item Heck, Michelle

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2026
Publication Date: 7/6/2026
Citation: Stuehler, D., Buckler Iv, E.S., Coradetti, S., Cano, L., Heck, M.L. 2026. Genome-wide association and holobiont analysis of Diaphorina citri: examining genetics underlying vector capacity of the Huanglongbing insect vector. Meeting Abstract. Hemipteran Plant Insect Symposium, Montpellier, France. July 6-8, 2026.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Diaphorina citri is the major vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacterium associated with citrus greening disease in Asia, the United States and other citrus growing regions. Identifying the genetic architecture of the vector competence trait in D. citri may provide new approaches to the management of citrus greening disease. We applied a novel split kmer approach to haplotype nearly 700 D. citri mitochondrial genomes and discovered unique haplotypes within local Florida populations exhibiting significant differences in CLas titers. To better understand the genetic differences in Florida populations that regulate vector competency, we conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on a subset of 498 adult D. citri from the local Florida populations. We estimated the CLas vector competence phenotype for each insect by measuring CLas titer using quantitative PCR. Polymorphisms within D. citri autosomal chromosomes and endosymbiont genomes of Wolbachia, Candidatus Carsonella ruddi and Candidatus Profftella armatura were associated with CLas titers. The data revealed that CLas vector competence is a polygenic, quantitative trait arising from multiple, small effect loci. First-degree relatives (e.g., parents and siblings) had CLas titers that were more similar to each other as compared to non-relatives. The similarity in titer between parents and siblings may be due to a combination of genetics as well as the feeding biology of sibling nymphs on individual citrus flush points. To identify genes associated with significant polymorphisms, we compared the GWAS dataset with the small RNA (sRNA) response of D. citri in CLas (+) and (–) lab-reared colonies. SRNA profiles allowed us to narrow down a set of candidate genes associated with vector competence polymorphisms. Surprisingly, sRNA response of Candidatus Profftella armatura and two insect-infecting viruses were significantly correlated with CLas infection in the lab-reared colonies. These genomic-empowered approaches provide novel insights into the genetics underlaying vector-biology, interplay between sRNA repertoires and viral species of D. citri upon CLas infection, promote further research to identify therapeutics which prevent insect-vector disease acquisition and transmission and facilitate unbiased evolutionary analysis of psyllid lineages using complete mitochondrial genomes.