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Dryad

Data from: Fine-scale analysis of parasite resistance genes in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

Cite this dataset

Zhong, Daibin et al. (2013). Data from: Fine-scale analysis of parasite resistance genes in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bk90m

Abstract

Parasite infection impacts population dynamics through effects on fitness and fecundity of the individual host. In addition to the known roles of environmental factors, host susceptibility to parasites has a genetic basis that has not been well characterized. We previously mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for susceptibility to rat tapeworm (Hymenolepis diminuta) infection in Tribolium castaneum using dominant AFLP markers, but the resistance genes were not identified. In the current study, we refined the QTL locations and increased the marker density in the QTL regions using new microsatellite markers, sequence-tagged site markers (STS), and single-strand conformational polymorphism markers (SSCP). Resistance QTL in three linkage groups, (LG3, LG6 and LG8), were each mapped to intervals less than 1.0 cM between two codominant markers. The effects of 21 genes in the three QTL regions were investigated by using quantitative RT-PCR analysis, and transcription profiles were obtained from the resistant TIW1 and the susceptible cSM strains. Based on transcription data, 8 genes were selected for RNA interference (RNAi) analysis to investigate their possible roles in H. diminuta resistance, including cytochrome P450 (LOC657454) and toll-like receptor 13 (TLR 13, LOC662131). The transcription of P450 and TLR 13 genes in the resistant TIW1 strains was reduced more than 9-fold relative to the control. Moreover, the effects of gene knockdown of P450 and TLR 13 caused resistant beetles to become susceptible to tapeworm infection, which strongly suggests an important role for each in T. castaneum resistance to H. diminuta infection.

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Location

California