鈥淥ur analysis of the pea aphid genome opens the door for researchers to better understand the biology of the aphid at the genetic and molecular levels,鈥� said Marina Caillaud, associate professor of biology at Ithaca College. 鈥淏ecause the pea aphid is a close relative of other insects that are serious agricultural pests worldwide, understanding the genetic underpinnings of this animal鈥檚 complex ecology鈥攊ncluding its capacity to parasitize agricultural crops鈥攚ill help design new strategies to disrupt pathways and control pests.鈥�
Working with Caillaud in her laboratory were two undergraduates, Eric van Fleet and Jason Diaz. Both graduated in 2009 with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in biochemistry. Also playing important roles in the research were scientists from two other area institutions, the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and Cornell University. The Ithaca-area scientists led the effort to annotate genes involved in metabolizing and transporting sugars, amino acids, purines (the building blocks of DNA and RNA) and other metabolites. Members of the three laboratories also contributed to identifying pea aphid genes important in overcoming plant defenses, including enzymes in aphid saliva and genes that play a crucial role in aphid transmission of viruses as they feed on plants.
The genome was sequenced at the Baylor College of Medicine鈥檚 Human Genome Sequencing Center and published in the Feb. 23 issue of 鈥淧ublic Library of Science鈥擝iology鈥� (PLoS Biology). The research was supported by the Ithaca College Department of Biology, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.The 鈥淧LoS Biology鈥� article is available at: .
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