methods-for-extraction-endosymbionts-from-whitefly-bemisia

Methods for the Extraction of Endosymbionts from the Whitefly <em>Bemisia tabaci</em>

Bacterial symbionts form an intimate relationship with their hosts and confer advantages to the hosts in most cases. Genomic information is critical to ...

localization-quantification-begomoviruses-whitefly-tissues

Localization and Quantification of Begomoviruses in Whitefly Tissues by Immunofluorescence and Quantitative PCR

Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) are transmitted by whiteflies of the Bemisia tabaci complex in a persistent, circulative manner. ...

Zhejiang University

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are essential molecular chaperones that play important roles in the stress stimulation of insects. Bemisia tabaci, a phloem feeder and invasive species, can cause extensive crop damage through direct feeding and transmission of plant viruses. Here we employed comprehensive genomics approaches to identity HSP superfamily members in the Middle East Asia Minor 1 whitefly genome. In total, we identified 26 Hsp genes, including three Hsp90, 17 Hsp70, one Hsp60 and five sHSP (small heat shock protein) genes. The HSP gene superfamily of whitefly is expanded compared with the other five insects surveyed here. The gene structures among the same families are relatively conserved. Meanwhile, the motif compositions and secondary structures of BtHsp proteins were predicted. In addition, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the expression patterns of BtHsp gene superfamily were diverse across different tissues of whiteflies. Most Hsp genes were induced or repressed by thermal stress (40°C) and cold treatment (4°C) in whitefly. Silencing the expression of BtHsp70-6 significantly decreased the survival rate of whitefly under 45°C. All the results showed the Hsps conferred thermo-tolerance or cold-tolerance to whiteflies that protect them from being affected by detrimental temperature conditions. Our observations highlighted the molecular evolutionary properties and the response mechanism to temperature assaults of Hsp genes in whitefly.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of HSP gene superfamily in whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and expression profiling analysis under temperature stress.

Bacterial symbiosis is widespread in arthropods, especially in insects. Some of the symbionts undergo a long-term co-evolution with the host, resulting in massive genome decay. One particular consequence of genome decay is thought to be the elimination of transcriptional elements within both the coding region and intergenic sequences. In the whitefly  species complex, the obligate symbiont  Portiera aleyrodidarum is of vital importance in nutrient provision, and yet little is known about the regulatory capacities of it.

Fei-Xue Ban

Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogen and Insects,
Institute of Insect Sciences,
Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogen and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences

Zhejiang University

Methods for the Extraction of Endosymbionts from the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci

Localization and Quantification of Begomoviruses in Whitefly Tissues by Immunofluorescence and Quantitative PCR