The molecular genetic basis of herbivory between butterflies and their host plants

First author: Sumitha Nallu; Affiliations: University of Chicago (芝加哥大学): Chicago, USA

Corresponding author: Marcus R. Kronforst 

Interactions between herbivorous (食草的) insects and their host plants are a central component of terrestrial food webs and a critical topic in agriculture, where a substantial fraction of potential crop yield is lost annually to pests. Important insights into plant-insect interactions have come from research on specific plant defences and insect detoxification (解毒) mechanisms. Yet, much remains unknown about the molecular mechanisms that mediate plant-insect interactions. Here we use multiple genome-wide approaches to map the molecular basis of herbivory from both plant and insect perspectives, focusing on butterflies and their larval (幼虫的) host plants. Parallel genome-wide association studies in the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, and its host plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, pinpointed a small number of butterfly and plant genes that influenced herbivory. These genes, along with much of the genome, were regulated in a dynamic way over the time course of the feeding interaction. Comparative analyses, including diverse butterfly/plant systems, showed a variety of genome-wide responses to herbivory, as well as a core set of highly conserved genes in butterflies as well as their host plants. These results greatly expand our understanding of the genomic causes and evolutionary consequences of ecological interactions across two of nature’s most diverse taxa, butterflies and flowering plants.

草食性昆虫与其寄主植物之间的互作是陆地食物网络重要组成部分，同时在农业中也是重点关注方向，每年都会有一大部分的作物产量由于昆虫而受到损害。对于某些特异植物抗性与昆虫解毒机制的研究极大的促进了人们对于植物-昆虫互作的理解。然而，有关植物-昆虫互作机制还有许多不甚清楚的地方有待研究。本文通过对植物和昆虫的多种基因组层面的研究对于食草的分子基础进行的探索，主要研究的是蝴蝶与其幼虫状态时的寄主植物。菜粉蝶和其寄主植物拟南芥的平行全基因组关联分析鉴定了一些与草食相关的基因。这些基因与基因组上的一些区域会随着昆虫啃食植物的时间会受到动态调控。不同蝴蝶与植物互作系统的比较分析显示出多种基因组对于草食的响应，同时鉴定了蝴蝶及其寄主植物基因组中的核心高度保守的基因。本文的研究结果极大的扩宽了我们对于蝴蝶与开花植物这两个自然界最为多样性的物种之间生态互作的基因组基础及演化结果的理解。

通讯：Marcus R. Kronforst (https://www.kronforstlab.org/kronforst/index.html)

个人简介：1998年，迈阿密大学，学士；2004年，德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校，博士。

研究方向：利用袖蝶属物种研究热带蝴蝶的适应性表型多样性和物种分化。

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0629-9

Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution

Published date: 03 August, 2018

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