Data from: Transcriptome modulation during host shift is driven by secondary metabolites in desert Drosophila

High-throughput transcriptome studies are breaking new ground to investigate the responses that organisms deploy in alternative environments. Nevertheless much remains to be understood about the genetic basis of host plant adaptation. Here, we investigate genome-wide expression in the fly Drosophila buzzatii raised in different conditions. This species uses decaying tissues of cactus of the genus Opuntia as primary rearing substrate, and secondarily, the necrotic tissues of the columnar cactus Trichocereus terscheckii. The latter constitutes a harmful host, rich in mescaline and other related phenylethylamine alkaloids. We assessed transcriptomic responses of larvae reared in O. sulphurea and T. terscheckii, with and without the addition of alkaloids extracted from the latter. Whole genome expression profiles were massively modulated by the rearing environment, mainly by the presence of T. terscheckii alkaloids. Differentially expressed genes were mainly related to detoxification, oxidation-reduction and stress response, however, we also found genes involved in development and neurobiological processes. In conclusion, our study contributes new data onto the role of transcriptional plasticity in response to alternative rearing environments.高通量转录组（transcriptome）研究正为探究生物在可变环境中的响应策略开拓全新领域。然而，寄主植物适应性的遗传基础仍有诸多科学问题有待阐明。本研究针对不同培养条件下饲养的布氏果蝇（*Drosophila buzzatii*）开展全基因组表达分析。该物种以仙人掌属（*Opuntia*）植物的腐烂组织作为主要繁育基质，次要寄主为柱状仙人掌*Trichocereus terscheckii*的坏死组织；该寄主属于有害寄主，其体内富含墨斯卡灵（mescaline）及其他相关苯乙胺类生物碱。我们分别检测了在*O. sulphurea*和*T. terscheckii*基质中饲养，且添加/未添加从后者中提取的生物碱的幼虫的转录组响应。饲养环境对全基因组表达谱产生了显著调控，其中尤以*T. terscheckii*生物碱的存在影响最为突出。差异表达基因主要与解毒、氧化还原及应激响应相关，同时我们也鉴定到了参与发育及神经生物学过程的基因。综上，本研究为解析转录可塑性（transcriptional plasticity）在响应不同繁育环境中的作用提供了全新的数据支撑。