An international consortium on genomics-assisted insect pheromone identification

Funding period: 2020-2024
Lead: Daniel Doucet
Total GRDI funding: $176,000

The detection of Forest Invasive Alien Species (FIAS) insects is an essential aspect of their integrated management. One of the most commonly used strategy is in the deployment of traps baited with volatile compound blends attractive to adult insects. This project uses a genomics-based strategy to link insect pest sensory genes to their specific ligands, in order to accelerate the discovery and deployment of new attractants or blends. This project's objectives are: 1) the annotation of sensory gene families from FIAS insect species; 2) the establishment of a multi-user, applied sensory genomics platform; 3) the development of novel molecular methods for the discovery of behaviorally-active compounds and; 4) the facilitation of international cooperation in insect sensory genomics and chemical ecology. Expected benefits include the faster development of effective attractants against FIAS and therefore a more rapid reaction time in terms of forest pest management.

Publications

  • Béliveau C, Gagné P, Picq S, Vernygora O, Keeling CI, Pinkney K, ... Cusson M. 2022. The Spruce Budworm Genome: Reconstructing the Evolutionary History of Antifreeze Proteins. Genome Biology and Evolution, 14(6), evac087. https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evac087
  • Doucet D, Paine TD. 2023. Form and Function. Forest Entomology and Pathology: Volume 1: Entomology. Cham: Springer International Publishing. 19-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11553-0_2
  • Mitchell RF, Doucet D, Bowman S, Bouwer MC, Allison JD. 2022. Prediction of a conserved pheromone receptor lineage from antennal transcriptomes of the pine sawyer genus Monochamus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 208(5-6), 615-625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-022-01583-w
  • Olatinwo RO, Schowalter TD, Doucet D, Bowman S, Johnson WC, Allison JD. 2020. Intergenic spacer single nucleotide polymorphisms for genotyping Amylostereum areolatum (Russulales: Amylostereacea) symbionts of native and non-native Sirex species. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 113(4): 280-287. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saz058
  • Shin NR, Doucet D, Pauchet Y. 2022. Duplication of horizontally acquired GH5_2 enzymes played a central role in the evolution of longhorned beetles. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39(6), msac128. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac128
  • Torson AS, Bowman S, Doucet D, Roe AD, Sinclair BJ. 2023. Molecular signatures of diapause in the Asian longhorned beetle: Gene expression. Current Research in Insect Science, 3, 100054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cris.2023.100054
  • Torson AS, Des Marteaux LE, Bowman S, Zhang ML, Ong K, Doucet D, Sinclair BJ, Roe AD. 2020. Dissection of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) larval tissues for physiological and molecular studies. The Canadian Entomologist, 152(3): 399-409. https://doi.org/10.4039/tce.2020.22
  • Torson AS, Zhang ML, Smith AJ, Mohammad L, Ong K, Doucet D, Roe AD, Sinclair BJ. 2020. Dormancy in laboratory-reared Asian longhorned beetles, Anoplophora glabripennis. Journal of Insect Physiology. 130:104179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104179
  • Torson AS, Zhang ML, Ong K, Mohammad L, Smith AJ, Doucet D, Roe AD, Sinclair BJ. 2021. Cold tolerance of laboratory-reared Asian longhorned beetles. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 257:110957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.110957

Contact us

For additional information, please contact:
Genomics R&D Initiative
Email: info@grdi-irdg.collaboration.gc.ca