Analysis of Genetic Diversity of Banana Weevils (Cosmopolites sordidus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Using Transcriptome-Derived Simple Sequence Repeat Markers
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Economic Entomology
Abstract
The banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an economically important
insect pest of bananas. It causes up to 100% yield losses and substantial lifespan reduction in bananas.
Advances in genomics, proteomics, and sequencing technologies have provided powerful pathways
to genotyping disastrous pests such as C. sordidus. However, such technologies are often not available to
the majority of rural subtropical African banana growers and pest control managers. This study was therefore
motivated by the need to create cheap and easily accessible C. sordidus genotyping methods that could
be deployed by banana pest control managers to the benefit of C. sordidus control programs in the tropics
where such advanced technologies are not readily accessible. We used an in-house C. sordidus transcriptome
from the an-ongoing study from which we mined an array of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of these,
six highly polymorphic transcriptome-derived SSR markers were used to successfully genotype within and
among banana weevil population genetic diversity of 12 C. sordidus populations collected from four bananagrowing
agro-ecological zones (AEZs) in Uganda. The developed transcriptome-derived SSR markers can be
used by researchers in population genetics for characterization of the C. sordidus and identification of new
genes that are linked to traits of particular interest. The significant genetic diversity revealed in C. sordidus provides
pertinent information for integrated pest management strategies.
Description
Keywords
Musa, Cosmopolites sordidus, Simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker, Genetic diversity, Uganda
Citation
Milton, A., Muhanguzi, D., Male, A., Kajubi, A., Buah, S., Kubiriba, J., & Tumuhimbise, R. (2022). Analysis of Genetic Diversity of Banana Weevils (Cosmopolites sordidus)(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Using Transcriptome-Derived Simple Sequence Repeat Markers. Journal of Economic Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toab213