Nilaparvata lugens Epigenomics

The brown planthopper (BPH) is one of the most devastating pests of rice. As conventional strategies to control BPH are proving unsuccessful, therefore, it has become pertinent to investigate the mechanisms underlying rapid adaptive nature of BPH, to eventually devise appropriate strategies to contain its threat. The observed genome flexibility of BPH, under rapidly changing environmental conditions, could be brought about by the activity of transposons (TEs). We performed comparative analyses of the methylation status of Tf2-elements between BPH populations feeding on resistant and susceptible rice varieties, and BPH thriving under pesticide stress to ascertain its role in modulating TEs dynamics in BPH. We believe that investigating the patterns of TE methylation and deciphering mechanisms underlying genome flexibility will provide valuable clues to understanding the evolution of BPH as a destructive pest.