Effect of choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase gene (pcyt-1) expression on departure of pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae), from Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera:Cerambycidae)

Abstract

In order to study the causes of pine wood nematodes (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus departure from its vector beetle, Monochamus alternatus, we collected PWNs which were extracted from the newly emerged M. alternatus and the 7d after emergence beetles. The total RNAs of the two groups of PWNs were extracted and transcriptomes sequencing were performed, and the genes expression differences between the two groups of PWN were analyzed. It was found that expression of choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase gene (pcyt-1) markedly up-regulated. After inhibition of pcyt-1 expression by RNA interference, the rate of lipid degradation in PWN decreased significantly, and the motility of PWN also decreased significantly. Analysis identified that phosphatidylcholine can promote the emulsification and degradation of lipid droplets in PWN, which provide energy for PWN departure from M. alternatus. The up-regulation of gene pcyt-1 is an important internal trigger for PWN departure from the beetles.