Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest
Yellow sugarcane aphid (YSA) (<i>Sipha flava</i>, Forbes) is a damaging pest on many grasses. Switchgrass (<i>Panicum virgatum</i> L.), a perennial C4 grass, has been selected as a bioenergy feedstock because of its perceived resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. Aphid i...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/21/7966 |
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| author | Lise Pingault Nathan A. Palmer Kyle G. Koch Tiffany Heng-Moss Jeffrey D. Bradshaw Javier Seravalli Paul Twigg Joe Louis Gautam Sarath |
| author_facet | Lise Pingault Nathan A. Palmer Kyle G. Koch Tiffany Heng-Moss Jeffrey D. Bradshaw Javier Seravalli Paul Twigg Joe Louis Gautam Sarath |
| author_sort | Lise Pingault |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Yellow sugarcane aphid (YSA) (<i>Sipha flava</i>, Forbes) is a damaging pest on many grasses. Switchgrass (<i>Panicum virgatum</i> L.), a perennial C4 grass, has been selected as a bioenergy feedstock because of its perceived resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. Aphid infestation on switchgrass has the potential to reduce the yields and biomass quantity. Here, the global defense response of switchgrass cultivars Summer and Kanlow to YSA feeding was analyzed by RNA-seq and metabolite analysis at 5, 10, and 15 days after infestation. Genes upregulated by infestation were more common in both cultivars compared to downregulated genes. In total, a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the YSA susceptible cultivar (Summer), and fewer DEGs were observed in the YSA resistant cultivar (Kanlow). Interestingly, no downregulated genes were found in common between each time point or between the two switchgrass cultivars. Gene co-expression analysis revealed upregulated genes in Kanlow were associated with functions such as flavonoid, oxidation-response to chemical, or wax composition. Downregulated genes for the cultivar Summer were found in co-expression modules with gene functions related to plant defense mechanisms or cell wall composition. Global analysis of defense networks of the two cultivars uncovered differential mechanisms associated with resistance or susceptibility of switchgrass in response to YSA infestation. Several gene co-expression modules and transcription factors correlated with these differential defense responses. Overall, the YSA-resistant Kanlow plants have an enhanced defense even under aphid uninfested conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:18:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-720d1963e0b846d681b2804f0a339ed5 |
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| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:18:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-720d1963e0b846d681b2804f0a339ed52023-11-20T18:39:51ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-10-012121796610.3390/ijms21217966Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid PestLise Pingault0Nathan A. Palmer1Kyle G. Koch2Tiffany Heng-Moss3Jeffrey D. Bradshaw4Javier Seravalli5Paul Twigg6Joe Louis7Gautam Sarath8Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USAWheat, Sorghum, and Forage Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE 68583, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USARedox Biology Center, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USABiology Department, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kearney, NE 68849, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USAYellow sugarcane aphid (YSA) (<i>Sipha flava</i>, Forbes) is a damaging pest on many grasses. Switchgrass (<i>Panicum virgatum</i> L.), a perennial C4 grass, has been selected as a bioenergy feedstock because of its perceived resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. Aphid infestation on switchgrass has the potential to reduce the yields and biomass quantity. Here, the global defense response of switchgrass cultivars Summer and Kanlow to YSA feeding was analyzed by RNA-seq and metabolite analysis at 5, 10, and 15 days after infestation. Genes upregulated by infestation were more common in both cultivars compared to downregulated genes. In total, a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the YSA susceptible cultivar (Summer), and fewer DEGs were observed in the YSA resistant cultivar (Kanlow). Interestingly, no downregulated genes were found in common between each time point or between the two switchgrass cultivars. Gene co-expression analysis revealed upregulated genes in Kanlow were associated with functions such as flavonoid, oxidation-response to chemical, or wax composition. Downregulated genes for the cultivar Summer were found in co-expression modules with gene functions related to plant defense mechanisms or cell wall composition. Global analysis of defense networks of the two cultivars uncovered differential mechanisms associated with resistance or susceptibility of switchgrass in response to YSA infestation. Several gene co-expression modules and transcription factors correlated with these differential defense responses. Overall, the YSA-resistant Kanlow plants have an enhanced defense even under aphid uninfested conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/21/7966switchgrass<i>Panicum virgatum</i>yellow sugarcane aphid<i>Sipha flava</i>RNA-seqtranscriptome |
| spellingShingle | Lise Pingault Nathan A. Palmer Kyle G. Koch Tiffany Heng-Moss Jeffrey D. Bradshaw Javier Seravalli Paul Twigg Joe Louis Gautam Sarath Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest International Journal of Molecular Sciences switchgrass <i>Panicum virgatum</i> yellow sugarcane aphid <i>Sipha flava</i> RNA-seq transcriptome |
| title | Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest |
| title_full | Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest |
| title_fullStr | Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest |
| title_short | Differential Defense Responses of Upland and Lowland Switchgrass Cultivars to a Cereal Aphid Pest |
| title_sort | differential defense responses of upland and lowland switchgrass cultivars to a cereal aphid pest |
| topic | switchgrass <i>Panicum virgatum</i> yellow sugarcane aphid <i>Sipha flava</i> RNA-seq transcriptome |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/21/7966 |
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