Genome and transcriptome of Ips nitidus provide insights into high-altitude hypoxia adaptation and symbiosis

Zheng Wang; Ya Liu; Huimin Wang; Amit Roy; Huixiang Liu; Fuzhong Han; Xingyao Zhang; Quan Lu

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107793

Genome and transcriptome of Ips nitidus provide insights into high-altitude hypoxia adaptation and symbiosis

iScience. 2023 Aug 30;26(10):107793. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107793. eCollection 2023 Oct 20.

Authors

Zheng Wang^{1

2}, Ya Liu¹, Huimin Wang¹, Amit Roy³, Huixiang Liu², Fuzhong Han⁴, Xingyao Zhang¹, Quan Lu¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China.
² Shandong Research Center for Forestry Harmful Biological Control Engineering and Technology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.
³ Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, EXTEMIT-K and EVA.4.0 Unit, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, Prague 6, 165 00 Suchdol, Czech Republic.
⁴ Maxiu Forest Farm, Huangnan 811300, China.

Abstract

Ips nitidus is a well-known conifer pest that has contributed significantly to spruce forest disturbance in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and seriously threatens the ecological balance of these areas. We report a chromosome-level genome of I. nitidus determined by PacBio and Hi-C technology. Phylogenetic inference showed that it diverged from the common ancestor of I. typographus ∼2.27 mya. Gene family expansion in I. nitidus was characterized by DNA damage repair and energy metabolism, which may facilitate adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Interestingly, differential gene expression analysis revealed upregulated genes associated with high-altitude hypoxia adaptation and downregulated genes associated with detoxification after feeding and tunneling in fungal symbiont Ophiostoma bicolor-colonized substrates. Our findings provide evidence of the potential adaptability of I. nitidus to conifer host, high-altitude hypoxia and insight into how fungal symbiont assist in this process. This study enhances our understanding of insect adaptation, symbiosis, and pest management.

Keywords: Ecology; Genetics; Genomics.