Differential gene expression in Perillus bioculatus nymphs fed a suboptimal artificial diet

Fragments of two artificial diet up-regulated and two prey up-regulated transcripts were isolated from the predatory Pentatomid Perillus bioculatus using suppression subtractive hybridization. A BlastX search found similarities for two diet-upregulated clones, i.e., the tyrosine-3-monooxygenase gene and the gene for the chitin binding protein, Gasp. The probe generated from the tyrosine-3monooxygenase clone hybridized to two transcripts 2.3 and 1.2 kb in size. The two transcripts were differentially regulated: the 2.3 kb transcript was upregulated in the first and late third instar diet-fed nymphs, whereas the 1.2 kb transcript was upregulated in the second and early third instar diet-fed nymphs. The Gasp gene was upregulated in late third instar nymphs. A positive correlation was found between levels of expression of the isolated genes and the number of generations the insects had been reared on the artificial diet. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.