@article{wang_rivera_klobasa_lorenzen_2024, title={Evaluation of <i>Peregrinus maidis transformer-2</i> as a target for CRISPR-based control}, volume={19}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0295335}, abstractNote={The corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, is an economically important pest of corn and sorghum. Here we report the initial steps towards developing a CRISPR-based control method, precision guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT), for this hemipteran pest. Specifically, we evaluated the potential of transformer-2 (tra-2) as a target for sterilizing insects. First, we identified tra-2 transcripts within our P. maidis transcriptome database and performed RNA interference (RNAi) to confirm functional conservation. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Pmtra-2 in nymphs transformed females into pseudomales with deformed ovipositors resembling male claspers. While males showed no overt difference in appearance, they were indeed sterile. Importantly, the results were similar to those observed in another planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens. We also used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to assess the impact of tra-2 knockout in injectees. CRISPR-mediated knockout of Pmtra-2 had lethal effects on embryos, and hence not many injectees reached adulthood. However, mosaic knockout of Pmtra-2 did impact female and male fertility, which supports the use of tra-2 as a target for pgSIT in this hemipteran species.}, number={4}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Wang, Yu-Hui and Rivera, Dina Espinoza and Klobasa, William and Lorenzen, Marce D.}, year={2024}, month={Apr} }
 @article{wang_mikaelyan_coates_lorenzen_2024, title={The Genome of <i>Arsenophonus</i> sp. and Its Potential Contribution in the Corn Planthopper, <i>Peregrinus maidis</i>}, volume={15}, ISSN={["2075-4450"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020113}, DOI={10.3390/insects15020113}, abstractNote={The co-evolution between symbionts and their insect hosts has led to intricate functional interdependencies. Advances in DNA-sequencing technologies have not only reduced the cost of sequencing but, with the advent of highly accurate long-read methods, have also enabled facile genome assembly even using mixed genomic input, thereby allowing us to more easily assess the contribution of symbionts to their insect hosts. In this study, genomic data recently generated from Peregrinus maidis was used to assemble the genome of a bacterial symbiont, Pm Arsenophonus sp. This ~4.9-Mb assembly is one of the largest Arsenophonus genomes reported to date. The Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) result indicates that this Pm Arsenophonus assembly has a high degree of completeness, with 96% of the single-copy Enterobacterales orthologs found. The identity of the Pm Arsenophonus sp. was further confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicates a major contribution by Pm Arsenophonus sp. to the biosynthesis of B vitamins and essential amino acids in P. maidis, where threonine and lysine production is carried out solely by Pm Arsenophonus sp. This study not only provides deeper insights into the evolutionary relationships between symbionts and their insect hosts, but also adds to our understanding of insect biology, potentially guiding the development of novel pest control methods.}, number={2}, journal={INSECTS}, author={Wang, Yu-Hui and Mikaelyan, Aram and Coates, Brad S. and Lorenzen, Marce}, year={2024}, month={Feb} }
 @article{coates_walden_lata_vellichirammal_mitchell_andersson_mckay_lorenzen_grubbs_wang_et al._2023, title={A draft Diabrotica virgifera virgifera genome: insights into control and host plant adaption by a major maize pest insect}, volume={24}, ISSN={1471-2164}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-022-08990-y}, DOI={10.1186/s12864-022-08990-y}, abstractNote={Abstract
                Background
                Adaptations by arthropod pests to host plant defenses of crops determine their impacts on agricultural production. The larval host range of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is restricted to maize and a few grasses. Resistance of D. v. virgifera to crop rotation practices and multiple insecticides contributes to its status as the most damaging pest of cultivated maize in North America and Europe. The extent to which adaptations by this pest contributes to host plant specialization remains unknown.
              
                Results
                A 2.42 Gb draft D. v. virgifera genome, Dvir_v2.0, was assembled from short shotgun reads and scaffolded using long-insert mate-pair, transcriptome and linked read data. K-mer analysis predicted a repeat content of ≥ 61.5%. Ortholog assignments for Dvir_2.0 RefSeq models predict a greater number of species-specific gene duplications, including expansions in ATP binding cassette transporter and chemosensory gene families, than in other Coleoptera. A majority of annotated D. v. virgifera cytochrome P450s belong to CYP4, 6, and 9 clades. A total of 5,404 transcripts were differentially-expressed between D. v. virgifera larvae fed maize roots compared to alternative host (Miscanthus), a marginal host (Panicum virgatum), a poor host (Sorghum bicolor) and starvation treatments; Among differentially-expressed transcripts, 1,908 were shared across treatments and the least number were between Miscanthus compared to maize. Differentially-expressed transcripts were enriched for putative spliceosome, proteosome, and intracellular transport functions. General stress pathway functions were unique and enriched among up-regulated transcripts in marginal host, poor host, and starvation responses compared to responses on primary (maize) and alternate hosts.
              
                Conclusions
                Manual annotation of D. v. virgifera Dvir_2.0 RefSeq models predicted expansion of paralogs with gene families putatively involved in insecticide resistance and chemosensory perception. Our study also suggests that adaptations of D. v. virgifera larvae to feeding on an alternate host plant invoke fewer transcriptional changes compared to marginal or poor hosts. The shared up-regulation of stress response pathways between marginal host and poor host, and starvation treatments may reflect nutrient deprivation. This study provides insight into transcriptomic responses of larval feeding on different host plants and resources for genomic research on this economically significant pest of maize.
              }, number={1}, journal={BMC Genomics}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Coates, Brad S. and Walden, Kimberly K. O. and Lata, Dimpal and Vellichirammal, Neetha Nanoth and Mitchell, Robert F. and Andersson, Martin N. and McKay, Rachel and Lorenzen, Marcé D. and Grubbs, Nathaniel and Wang, Yu-Hui and et al.}, year={2023}, month={Jan} }
 @article{wang_klobasa_chu_huot_whitfield_lorenzen_2023, title={Structural and functional insights into the ATP-binding cassette transporter family in the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis}, volume={32}, ISSN={0962-1075 1365-2583}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/imb.12840}, DOI={10.1111/imb.12840}, abstractNote={AbstractThe corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, is an economically important pest of maize and sorghum. Its feeding behaviour and the viruses it transmits can significantly reduce crop yield. The control of P. maidis and its associated viruses relies heavily on insecticides. However, control has proven difficult due to limited direct exposure of P. maidis to insecticides and rapid development of resistance. As such, alternative control methods are needed. In the absence of a genome assembly for this species, we first developed transcriptomic resources. Then, with the goal of finding targets for RNAi‐based control, we identified members of the ATP‐binding cassette transporter family and targeted specific members via RNAi. PmABCB_160306_3, PmABCE_118332_5 and PmABCF_24241_1, whose orthologs in other insects have proven important in development, were selected for knockdown. We found that RNAi‐mediated silencing of PmABCB_160306_3 impeded ovary development; disruption of PmABCE_118332_5 resulted in localized melanization; and knockdown of PmABCE_118332_5 or PmABCF_24241_1 each led to high mortality within five days. Each phenotype is similar to that found when targeting the orthologous gene in other species and it demonstrates their potential for use in RNAi‐based P. maidis control. The transcriptomic data and RNAi results presented here will no doubt assist with the development of new control methods for this pest.}, number={4}, journal={Insect Molecular Biology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Wang, Yu‐Hui and Klobasa, William and Chu, Fu‐Chyun and Huot, Ordom and Whitfield, Anna E. and Lorenzen, Marcé}, year={2023}, month={Apr}, pages={412–423} }
 @article{oppert_muszewska_steczkiewicz_šatović-vukšić_plohl_fabrick_vinokurov_koloniuk_johnston_smith_et al._2022, title={The Genome of Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae): Adaptation for Success}, volume={13}, ISSN={2073-4425}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes13030446}, DOI={10.3390/genes13030446}, abstractNote={The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), is a major global pest of cereal grains. Infestations are difficult to control as larvae feed inside grain kernels, and many populations are resistant to both contact insecticides and fumigants. We sequenced the genome of R. dominica to identify genes responsible for important biological functions and develop more targeted and efficacious management strategies. The genome was assembled from long read sequencing and long-range scaffolding technologies. The genome assembly is 479.1 Mb, close to the predicted genome size of 480.4 Mb by flow cytometry. This assembly is among the most contiguous beetle assemblies published to date, with 139 scaffolds, an N50 of 53.6 Mb, and L50 of 4, indicating chromosome-scale scaffolds. Predicted genes from biologically relevant groups were manually annotated using transcriptome data from adults and different larval tissues to guide annotation. The expansion of carbohydrase and serine peptidase genes suggest that they combine to enable efficient digestion of cereal proteins. A reduction in the copy number of several detoxification gene families relative to other coleopterans may reflect the low selective pressure on these genes in an insect that spends most of its life feeding internally. Chemoreceptor genes contain elevated numbers of pseudogenes for odorant receptors that also may be related to the recent ontogenetic shift of R. dominica to a diet consisting primarily of stored grains. Analysis of repetitive sequences will further define the evolution of bostrichid beetles compared to other species. The data overall contribute significantly to coleopteran genetic research.}, number={3}, journal={Genes}, publisher={MDPI AG}, author={Oppert, Brenda and Muszewska, Anna and Steczkiewicz, Kamil and Šatović-Vukšić, Eva and Plohl, Miroslav and Fabrick, Jeffrey and Vinokurov, Konstantin and Koloniuk, Igor and Johnston, J. and Smith, Timothy and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Feb}, pages={446} }