Genome-Wide Screening of Transposable Elements in the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Revealed Insertions with Potential Insecticide Resistance Implications

Marwa Zidi (1, 2) , Khouloud Klai (1, 2) , Johann Confais (3, 4) , Benoît Chénais (1) , Aurore Caruso (1) , Françoise Denis (1) , Maha Khemakhem (2) , Nathalie Casse (1)

1 BiOSSE - Biologie des Organismes, Stress, Santé, Environnement [Le Mans Université]
2 LAB-B-03 (LR 01ES 05) - Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Technobiologie, LAB-B-03 [Université Tunis El Manar] | Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology [Universityof Tunis El Manar]]
3 URGI - Unité de Recherche Génomique Info
4 IR BioInfOmics

Transposable elements (TEs) are genetically mobile units that move from one site to another within a genome. These units can mediate regulatory changes that can result in massive changes in genes expression. In fact, a precise identification of TEs can allow the detection of the mechanisms involving these elements in gene regulation and genome evolution. In the present study, a genome- wide analysis of the Hemipteran pest Bemisia tabaci was conducted using bioinformatics tools to identify, annotate and estimate the age of TEs, in addition to their insertion sites, within or near of the defensome genes involved in insecticide resistance. Overall, 1,292,393 TE copies were identified in the B. tabaci genome grouped into 4872 lineages. A total of 699 lineages were found to belong to Class I of TEs, 1348 belong to Class II, and 2825 were uncategorized and form the largest part of TEs (28.81%). The TE age estimation revealed that the oldest TEs invasion happened 14 million years ago (MYA) and the most recent occurred 0.2 MYA with the insertion of Class II TE elements. The analysis of TE insertion sites in defensome genes revealed 94 insertions. Six of these TE insertions were found within or near previously identified differentially expressed insecticide resistance genes. These insertions may have a potential role in the observed insecticide resistance in these pests.

Mots clés: Bemisia tabaci; insecticide resistance; Transposable Element; Gene insertion; Evolutionary Biology

Domaines: Biochimie, Biologie Moléculaire; Génomique, Transcriptomique et Protéomique [q-bio.GN]; Bio-Informatique, Biologie Systémique [q-bio.QM]

Marwa Zidi, Khouloud Klai, Johann Confais, Benoît Chénais, Aurore Caruso, et al.. Genome-Wide Screening of Transposable Elements in the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Revealed Insertions with Potential Insecticide Resistance Implications. Insects, 2022, 13, pp.1-13. ⟨10.3390/insects13050396⟩. ⟨hal-03658789⟩