Transcriptome sequencing of Coccinella septempunctata adults (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) feeding on artificial diet and Aphis craccivora

Abstract

Background The insect predator Coccinella septempunctata can effectively control many types of pests, such as aphids, whiteflies, and small lepidopteran larvae. We previously found that C . septempunctata fed an artificial diet showed diminished biological properties(e.g. fecundity, egg hatching rate, survival rate, etc.) compared with those fed natural prey ( Aphis craccivora ), likely due to different nutritional characteristics of the diet. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing analysis to identify nutrition- and metabolism-related genes of C . septempunctata that were differentially expressed depending on diet. Methodology/Principal findings The Illumina HiSeq2000 was used to sequence 691,942,058 total clean reads from artificial diet-fed and A . craccivora -fed C . septempunctata libraries, and the clean reads were assembled using Trinity de novo software (Tabel 2 ). Comparison of transcriptome sequences revealed that expression of 38,315 genes was affected by the artificial diet, and 1,182 of these genes showed a significant change in expression levels (FDR ≤ 0.05,|log2FC|≥1, “FC” stands for “fold change”). These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were likely associated with the decreased egg laying capacity, hatching rate, longevity, and increased sex ratio (♀:♂) of adult C . septempunctata observed in the group fed the artificial diet. Furthermore, in the most DEGs metabolic pathways for C . septempunctata feeding on the artificial diet accumulated amino acid metabolic pathways, lipid metabolic pathways, and starch and glucose metabolism were down-regulated. Conclusions/Significance We found some differentially expressed genes and metabolic pathways are related to nutrition, from which a more informative feedback for diet formulation was obtained and the artificial diet could be more efficiently optimized.

Cloning and functional analysis of the juvenile hormone receptor gene CsMet in Coccinella septempunctata

“…After consuming an artificial diet, egg production and hatching rates decrease in C. septempunctata , which restricts large-scale production of lady beetle. Using transcriptome sequencing, our research team demonstrated that the expression of the JH receptor Met was downregulated in C. septempunctata fed on an artificial diet ( Cheng et al 2020a ). We speculated that the decline in egg production and hatching rates of C. septempunctata reared on artificial diets may be caused by downregulation of Met expression.…”

The Toxicity Response of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) after Exposure to Sublethal Concentrations of Acetamiprid

“…The seven-spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is as an important natural predator of many insect pests and has the advantages of ecological adaptability and plasticity [2,3]. Extensive research has been conducted on C. septempunctata to investigate artificial diets, biological characteristics, predation response, and artificial propagation [4][5][6][7][8]. The bean aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) is a cosmopolitan pest with a high reproductive rate and short life cycle, enabling outbreaks and virus transmission among plants.…”

Influence of artificial diets on biological characteristics and digestive enzymes of Coccinella septempunctata L.

“…We previously compared the nutritional composition of basic artificial diets with the Aphis craccivora diet and found that the fat and sugar content in the artificial diet was lower than A. craccivora , whereas the protein and amino acid content in the artificial diet was higher than A. craccivora ( Cheng 2018 ). However, transcriptomic analysis of C. septempunctata fed on the artificial diet revealed that differentially expressed genes in amino acid metabolism were generally downregulated, indicating that the absorption and utilization of proteins and amino acids in the artificial diet was poor, thus impacting growth and development ( Cheng et al 2020 ). Consequently, it is critical to consider the conversion and utilization of dietary ingredients by ladybugs and include natural compounds that are nutrient-rich.…”