[Institute Project] Functional Genomics of Aphid Adaptation to Plant Species
Ente: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Scadenza: 2017-03-31
Paese: GB
Descrizione
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The green peach aphid (GPA) Myzus persicae is an agronomically important Pest worldwide. This aphid colonizes over 400 different plant species from more than 50 plant families and has developed resistance to all insecticides that are currently in use. Remarkably, a single GPA clone (consisting of genetically identical individuals) can colonize diverse plant species of several plant families, whilst the specialist pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (for which the genome sequence is available) consists of genetically distinct races each of which colonizes different plant species of the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae).
The objective of this project is to identify mechanisms that have given GPA its impressive phenotypic plasticity. We will test the hypothesis that some gene families have adaptively expanded, offering GPA better protection to phytochemicals and insecticides. Given that genetically identical clones can exploit distinct host plants, we hypothesize that epigenetic regulation affects gene expression levels, and that certain gene members within these gene families are differentially up or down-regulated depending on exposure to host species and insecticides.
This project tests an exiting new idea that adaptive gene duplication and Expansion of certain gene families has provided GPA with a versatile genetic toolbox allowing for a phenotypically plastic response through epigenetic regulation, thereby equipping this parasite with a vast evolutionary potential that could
Settori: UNLISTED
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