RNA sequencing of aphid galls

Insects are an extremely species-rich and diverse taxonomic group that includes many species with sophisticated ecologies. Specifically, gall-forming insect species induce various types of galls on their host plants by altering gene expression in host plant organs, and recent studies have been conducted to reveal gene expression in galls. However, the evolutionary trajectories of gene expression patterns and the resulting phenotypes have not yet been studied using several related species. The objective of this study is to investigate the diversification process of galls induced by four closely related aphid species (Aphididae: Hormaphidini) in a host plant species (Hamamelis japonica) by comparing their gene expression patterns and resulting phenotypes. We try to reveal the evolutionary process of phenotypic traits in galls in the wild from both microlevel and macrolevel perspectives.

昆虫是物种丰富度极高、类群多样性显著的分类群，其中诸多类群具备复杂精巧的生态习性。具体而言，造瘿昆虫可通过调控寄主植物器官的基因表达，在寄主植物体上诱导形成多种类型的虫瘿（gall），目前已有多项研究致力于解析虫瘿内部的基因表达模式。然而，当前尚未有研究以多个近缘物种为研究对象，探究虫瘿相关基因表达模式及其对应表型的演化轨迹。本研究选取4种近缘蚜虫（aphid，蚜科：瘿绵蚜族Aphididae: Hormaphidini）在寄主植物日本金缕梅（Hamamelis japonica）上诱导形成的虫瘿作为研究对象，通过比较其基因表达模式与最终表型，探究虫瘿的多样化形成过程。本研究拟从微观与宏观两个维度，揭示野生状态下虫瘿表型性状的演化历程。