Developmental phase-specific mortality induced by UVB damage in the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae

About the effect of UVB radiation, the phase-specific mortality is observed in T.urticae larvae. The individuals exposed to UVB radiation seemed phenotypically normal. However, when they developed to the next protochrysalis stage, UVB-induced death was remarkably occurred. Many individuals fault moulting and trapped in old epidermis, or stop development working into shrinking. Phase of chrysalis stage are assumed dynamic physiological changes about body formation of next developmental stage. UVB-induced abnormal structures, CPD and 6-4PP inhibit the transcription and replication of DNA. Also in T. urticae larvae, these were confirmed previously . During dynamic differentiation in chrysalis, many gene expressions and DNA replications were expected. Thus, we hypothesized that DNA damages generated by UVB irradiation at larval stage disarranged transcriptions and replications essential for physiological change during chrysalis stage. The whole transcriptomes were profiled between protochrysalis individual exposed/non-exposed to UVB radiation at their larval stages in order to clarify the differentially expressed genes and get the trigger of mechanism causing phase specific mortality.

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