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Molecular identification of differential expression genes associated with sex pheromone biosynthesis in Spodoptera exigua

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Abstract

Species-specific sex pheromone is biosynthesized and released in most female moths as a chemical cue in mating communication. However, information on genes involved in this pathway is limited. The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, is a cosmopolitan agricultural pest that causes severe economic losses to many crops. In China, the female sex pheromones in sex pheromone glands (PGs) of S. exigua have been measured which comprises (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate, (Z)-9-tetradecen-l-ol, (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate, and (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadien-1-ol in a ratio of 47:18:18:17. Fifty-nine putative genes related to sex pheromone biosynthesis were identified in the present study by sequencing and analyzing the sex pheromone gland (PG) transcriptome of S. exigua. Expression profiles revealed that two desaturase (SexiDes5 and SexiDes11) and three fatty acyl reductase (SexiFAR2, 3, and 9) genes had PG-specific expression, and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that they clustered with genes known to be involved in pheromone synthesis in other moth species. Our results provide crucial background information that could facilitate the elucidation of sex pheromone biosynthesis pathway of S. exigua as well as other Spodoptera species and help identify potential targets for disrupting sexual communication in S. exigua for developing novel environment-friendly pesticides.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Peng He (Guizhou University, China), Hong-Lei Wang and Yi-Han Xia (Lund University, Sweden) for useful discussion; bachelor students Zhi-Qiang Wang and Geng Chen (Huaibei Normal University, China) for help in collecting insect. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31501647 and 31170616), Natural Science Foundation of Anhui province, China (1508085SMC216), Natural Science Fund of Education Department of Anhui province, China (KJ2017B019, KJ2017A387, KJ2013A234), and Doctor Scientific Research Foundation of Huaibei Normal University, China (12601032).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, No. 100, Dongshan Road, Huaibei, 235000, People’s Republic of China

    Ya-Nan Zhang, Jin-Bu Li & Xiu-Yun Zhu

  2. Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Control, School of Forestry & Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, No. 130, Changjiang West Road, Hefei, 230036, People’s Republic of China

    Long-Wa Zhang

  3. Guangdong Entomological Institute, Guangzhou, 510260, People’s Republic of China

    Da-Song Chen

  4. Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310008, People’s Republic of China

    Liang Sun & Zhao-Qun Li

  5. Education Ministry, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Zhan-Feng Ye & Mei-Yan Zheng

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  1. Ya-Nan Zhang
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  2. Long-Wa Zhang
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Zhang, YN., Zhang, LW., Chen, DS. et al. Molecular identification of differential expression genes associated with sex pheromone biosynthesis in Spodoptera exigua . Mol Genet Genomics 292, 795–809 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-017-1307-3

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