Transcriptomic Responses of Fall Armyworms (<i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>) Feeding on a Resistant Maize Inbred Line Xi502 with High Benzoxazinoid Content
Saif ul Malook,
Xiao-Feng Liu,
Caiyan Ma,
Jinfeng Qi,
Wende Liu,
Shaoqun Zhou
Affiliations
Saif ul Malook
Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 440307, China
Xiao-Feng Liu
Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 440307, China
Caiyan Ma
Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 440307, China
Jinfeng Qi
Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
Wende Liu
State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100193, China
Shaoqun Zhou
Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 440307, China
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a devastating invasive insect herbivore. Its success on its preferred host plant, maize (Zea mays), is supported by numerous specialized detoxification mechanisms that suppress the defense responses of maize. In this study, we used a resistant Chinese maize cultivar, Xi502, which showed slower growth and lower yield-related phenotypes compare with maize inbred line B73. Comparative transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that B73-fed fall armyworm larvae have a significantly faster transcriptomic re-configuration toward maturation compared to their siblings fed with Xi502 leaves, whereas a number of putative aromatic breakdown -related DEGs were specifically induced when feeding on Xi502. Targeted metabolomic quantification demonstrated that Xi502 contains significantly higher levels of various benzoxazinoid compounds. Artificial feeding with the structural analog of a benzoxazinoid compound preferentially accumulated in Xi502 demonstrated a significant growth inhibition effect on FAW larvae. These results provide important genetic material and preliminary evidence for further dissection of the FAW-resistance mechanism in maize.
