Kiwifruit response to armoured scale insect feeding

The response of kiwifruit vine (Actinidia chinensis 'Hort16A') canes to feeding by the armoured scale insect Hemiberlesia lataniae was tested by screening RNA extracted from bark against a cDNA library of 17,512 unigenes. Substantial transcriptional changes were noted after 7 days for approximately 30% of the ESTs. Transcripts associated with photosynthesis were down-regulated and those associated with secondary metabolism up-regulated. A large number of transcripts orthologous with defence-related genes were differentially expressed including several orthologous with resistance and pathogenesis. This is the first such analysis of changes to transcript expression in a plant challenged by feeding by insects from the family diaspididae. RNA was extracted from cane bark taken from treatment and control plants 2 days and 7 days after the insects were applied. Direct comparisons were made with six biological and 2 technical replicates.