Transcriptional responses of an indigenous and an invasive whitefly to different host plants reveal their different capacity of adaptation. Bemisia tabaci

The whitefly Bemisa tabaci is a species complex with global distribution and extensive genetic diversity. In this species complex, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1, previously referred to as the ‘B biotype’) species has been spreading rapidly in tropical and subtropical regions. we analyzed the transcriptional responses of the invasive MEAM1 and the indigenous Asia II 3 species of B. tabaci complex during host plant shift (from cotton to tobacco) using the Illumina sequencing technology.The different gene expression pattern of energy and carbonhydrate metabolism and detoxification metabolism between MEAM1 and Asia II 3 were the main reasons of their different capacity of adapation. Overall design: The global transcriptional difference between the invasive whitefly Bemisia tabaci species (MEAM1) and the indigenous whitefly species (Asia II 3) on cotton and tobacco were analyzed using the Illumina sequencing technology.