Comparative genomics of the miniature wasp and pest control agent Trichogramma pretiosum

Amelia R. I. Lindsey; Yogeshwar D. Kelkar; Xin Wu; Dan Sun; Ellen O. Martinson; Zhichao Yan; Paul F. Rugman-Jones; Daniel S. T. Hughes; Shwetha C. Murali; Jiaxin Qu; Shannon Dugan; Sandra L. Lee; Hsu Chao; Huyen Dinh; Yi Han; Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni; Kim C. Worley; Donna M. Muzny; Gongyin Ye; Richard A. Gibbs; Stephen Richards; Soojin V. Yi; Richard Stouthamer; John H. Werren

doi:10.1186/s12915-018-0520-9

BMC Biology (May 2018)

Comparative genomics of the miniature wasp and pest control agent Trichogramma pretiosum

Amelia R. I. Lindsey,
Yogeshwar D. Kelkar,
Xin Wu,
Dan Sun,
Ellen O. Martinson,
Zhichao Yan,
Paul F. Rugman-Jones,
Daniel S. T. Hughes,
Shwetha C. Murali,
Jiaxin Qu,
Shannon Dugan,
Sandra L. Lee,
Hsu Chao,
Huyen Dinh,
Yi Han,
Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni,
Kim C. Worley,
Donna M. Muzny,
Gongyin Ye,
Richard A. Gibbs,
Stephen Richards,
Soojin V. Yi,
Richard Stouthamer,
John H. Werren

Affiliations

Amelia R. I. Lindsey: Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside
Yogeshwar D. Kelkar: Department of Biology, University of Rochester
Xin Wu: School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology
Dan Sun: School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ellen O. Martinson: Department of Biology, University of Rochester
Zhichao Yan: Department of Biology, University of Rochester
Paul F. Rugman-Jones: Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside
Daniel S. T. Hughes: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Shwetha C. Murali: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Jiaxin Qu: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Shannon Dugan: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Sandra L. Lee: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Hsu Chao: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Huyen Dinh: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Yi Han: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Kim C. Worley: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Donna M. Muzny: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Gongyin Ye: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University
Richard A. Gibbs: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Stephen Richards: Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Soojin V. Yi: School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology
Richard Stouthamer: Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside
John H. Werren: Department of Biology, University of Rochester

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-018-0520-9
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16, no. 1
pp. 1 – 20

Abstract

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Abstract Background Trichogrammatids are minute parasitoid wasps that develop within other insect eggs. They are less than half a millimeter long, smaller than some protozoans. The Trichogrammatidae are one of the earliest branching families of Chalcidoidea: a diverse superfamily of approximately half a million species of parasitoid wasps, proposed to have evolved from a miniaturized ancestor. Trichogramma are frequently used in agriculture, released as biological control agents against major moth and butterfly pests. Additionally, Trichogramma are well known for their symbiotic bacteria that induce asexual reproduction in infected females. Knowledge of the genome sequence of Trichogramma is a major step towards further understanding its biology and potential applications in pest control. Results We report the 195-Mb genome sequence of Trichogramma pretiosum and uncover signatures of miniaturization and adaptation in Trichogramma and related parasitoids. Comparative analyses reveal relatively rapid evolution of proteins involved in ribosome biogenesis and function, transcriptional regulation, and ploidy regulation. Chalcids also show loss or especially rapid evolution of 285 gene clusters conserved in other Hymenoptera, including many that are involved in signal transduction and embryonic development. Comparisons between sexual and asexual lineages of Trichogramma pretiosum reveal that there is no strong evidence for genome degradation (e.g., gene loss) in the asexual lineage, although it does contain a lower repeat content than the sexual lineage. Trichogramma shows particularly rapid genome evolution compared to other hymenopterans. We speculate these changes reflect adaptations to miniaturization, and to life as a specialized egg parasitoid. Conclusions The genomes of Trichogramma and related parasitoids are a valuable resource for future studies of these diverse and economically important insects, including explorations of parasitoid biology, symbiosis, asexuality, biological control, and the evolution of miniaturization. Understanding the molecular determinants of parasitism can also inform mass rearing of Trichogramma and other parasitoids for biological control.

Published in BMC Biology

ISSN: 1741-7007 (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcbiol/

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