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Dehydration yields distinct transcriptional shifts associated with glycogen metabolism and increases feeding in the western flower thrips,Frankliniella occidentalis |
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| Authors: | Samuel T. Bailey Alekhya Kondragunta Hyojin A. Choi Jinlong Han Dorith Rotenberg Diane E. Ullman Joshua B. Benoit |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA;2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA Contribution: Investigation (equal), Methodology (equal), Writing - review & editing (equal);3. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA Contribution: Investigation (equal), Writing - review & editing (equal);4. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA;5. Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA Contribution: Funding acquisition (equal), Project administration (equal), Writing - review & editing (equal) |
| Abstract: | We examined water balance characteristics and the influence of desiccating conditions on the physiology and behavior of adult western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Western flower thrips are globally invasive and likely to contend with shifts in water availability across their expansive geographic range. Basic water balance characteristics, including water mass and dry mass, were established for adult males and females, revealing a distinct sexual dimorphism wherein females are larger, and males retain a larger percentage of their body mass as water. Males lose relative water mass more quickly and their survival times are shorter compared to females. RNA-seq analysis identified significant enrichment of a multitude of factors including carbohydrate transport and metabolism in dehydrated males and females. This was validated by altered glycogen levels, suggesting a rapid depletion in glycogen during dehydration. The probability of thrips feeding significantly increases when desiccation occurs, potentially to replenish water content and nutrient reserves. Our results establish the fundamental water balance characteristics of adult thrips and indicate that dehydration significantly influences the survivorship and feeding behavior of thrips; all of which being crucial factors that contribute to their capacity as vectors for plant pathogens. |
| Keywords: | dehydration desiccating conditions feeding Frankliniella occidentalis glycogen invasive plant pest RNA-seq Thripidae thrips Thysanoptera water balance western flower thrips |