Genetic control of gene expression variation in Tetranychus urticae

The project examined gene expression variation, and its genetic mode of control and inheritance, using five strains of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae, a generalist herbivore that rapidly evolves pesticide resistance. The aim of this study was to uncover the genetic basis of gene expression variation of potential importance for pesticide resistance, host plant adaptation, and potentially other phenotypes. To do this, RNA-seq data was collected from five inbred strains that varied in pesticide resistance and host use phenotypes (ROS-ITi, MAR-ABi, MR-VPi, JP-RRi, SOL-BEi); in addition to generating parental line data, we collected matching data for F1 hybrids of four of these lines (ROS-ITi, MAR-ABi, MR-VPi, JP-RRi) from crosses to a common parental inbred strain (SOL-BEi) that originated from an unsprayed agricultural field. Modes of genetic control were inferred in a workflow that involved determination of allele-specific expression (ASE) in the F1 samples.