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Transcriptome analysis of an endoparasitoid wasp Cotesia chilonis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reveals genes involved in
Yixiang Qi1, Ziwen Teng, Lingfeng Gao
1State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Abstract:
For successful parasitization, parasitiods usually depend on the chemosensory cues for the selection of hosts, as well as a variety of virulence factors introduced into their hosts to overcome host immunity and prevent rejection of progeny development. In bracovirus-carrying wasps, the symbiotic polydnaviruses act in manipulating development and immunity of hosts. The endoparasitoid Cotesia chilonis carrying bracovirus as a key host immunosuppressive factor is a superior endoparasitoid of rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis. So far, genomic information for C. chilonis is not available and transcriptomic data may provide valuable resources for global studying on physiological processes of C. chilonis, including chemosensation and parasitism at molecular level. Here, we performed RNA-seq to characterize the transcriptome of C. chilonis adults. We obtained 27,717,892 reads, assembled into 38,318 unigenes with a mean size of 690 bp. Approximately, 62.1% of the unigenes were annotated using NCBI databases. A large number of chemoreception-related genes encoding proteins including odorant receptors, gustatory receptors, odorant-binding proteins, chemosensory proteins, transient receptor potential ion channels, and sensory neuron membrane proteins were identified in silico. Totally, 72 transcripts possessing high identities with the bracovirus-related genes were identified. We investigated the mRNA expression levels of several transcripts at different developmental stages (including egg, larva, pupae, and adult) by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The results revealed that some genes had adult-specific expression, indicating their potential significance for mating and parasitism. Overall, these results provide comprehensive insights into transcriptomic data of a polydnavirus-carrying parasitoid of a rice pest.
Insights
This study characterizes the transcriptome of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia chilonis, revealing key genes for host selection and immune evasion. Findings offer insights into the molecular basis of parasitism in this important rice pest control agent.
Area of Science:
- Insect molecular biology
- Chemical ecology
- Parasitoid-host interactions
Background:
- Parasitoids rely on chemosensation for host selection and virulence factors to suppress host immunity.
- Bracovirus-carrying wasps utilize symbiotic polydnaviruses to manipulate host development and immunity.
- Cotesia chilonis, a parasitoid of the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis, carries bracovirus and lacks genomic information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the transcriptome of adult Cotesia chilonis using RNA-sequencing.
- To identify genes involved in chemosensation and parasitism.
- To investigate the expression patterns of selected genes across different developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on adult Cotesia chilonis.
- Transcriptomic data were assembled and annotated using NCBI databases.
- Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze gene expression levels.
Main Results:
- Assembly yielded 38,318 unigenes, with 62.1% annotated.
- Numerous chemoreception-related genes (odorant receptors, gustatory receptors, odorant-binding proteins, etc.) were identified.
- 72 transcripts related to bracovirus and several adult-specific genes were found.
Conclusions:
- The study provides the first comprehensive transcriptomic data for Cotesia chilonis.
- Identified genes offer molecular insights into chemosensation, immune suppression, and parasitism.
- Findings are valuable for understanding the biology of this parasitoid and its role in pest control.
