Interspecific Hybridization and Complete Mitochondrial Genome Analysis of Two Ghost Moth Species
The Chinese cordyceps, a parasitic <i>Ophiocordyceps sinensis</i> fungus–<i>Thitarodes/Hepialus</i> larva complex, is a valuable biological resource endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. Protection of the Plateau environment and huge market demand make it necessary to culture this...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/9c302836405e439ea692c45aada9fb7a |
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| Sumario: | The Chinese cordyceps, a parasitic <i>Ophiocordyceps sinensis</i> fungus–<i>Thitarodes/Hepialus</i> larva complex, is a valuable biological resource endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. Protection of the Plateau environment and huge market demand make it necessary to culture this complex in an artificial system. A method for the large-scale artificial rearing of the <i>Thitarodes/Hepialus</i> insect host has been established. However, the deterioration of the insect rearing population and low mummification of the infected larvae by the fungus constrain effective commercial cultivation. Hybridization of <i>Thitarodes/Hepialus</i> populations may be needed to overcome this problem. The species <i>T. shambalaensis</i> (GG♂ × GG♀) and an undescribed <i>Thitarodes</i> species (SD♂ × SD♀) were inbred or hybridized to evaluate the biological parameters, larval sensitivity to the fungal infection and mitochondrial genomes of the resulting populations. The two parental <i>Thitarodes</i> species exhibited significant differences in adult fresh weights and body lengths but not in pupal emergence rates. Hybridization of <i>T. shambalaensis</i> and <i>Thitarodes</i> sp. allowed producing a new generation. The SD♂ × GG♀ population showed a higher population trend index than the SD♂ × SD♀ population, implying increased population growth compared with the male parent. The sensitivity of the inbred larval populations to four fungal isolates of <i>O. sinensis</i> also differed. This provides possibilities to create <i>Thitarodes</i>/<i>Hepialus</i> populations with increased growth potential for the improved artificial production of the insect hosts. The mitochondrial genomes of GG♂ × GG♀, SD♂ × SD♀ and SD♂ × GG♀ were 15,612 bp, 15,389 bp and 15,496 bp in length, with an A + T content of 80.92%, 82.35% and 80.87%, respectively. The A + T-rich region contains 787 bp with two 114 bp repetitive sequences, 554 bp without repetitive sequences and 673 bp without repetitive sequences in GG♂ × GG♀, SD♂ × SD♀ and SD♂ × GG♀, respectively. The hybrid population (SD♂ × GG♀) was located in the same clade with GG♂ × GG♀, based on the phylogenetic tree constructed by 13 PCGs, implying the maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA. |
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