Biology subjects

Hunter, W. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Hunter, W. B..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

Rapid, Affordable, Collection and Analysis of Bioaerosol Viral Pathogens (Begomoviruses and Whitefly Vectors)

Detection of pathogens is critical to monitoring their distribution and spread, and is a key component in the prediction and management of disease epidemiology. Monitoring for pathogens as bioaerosols requires developing techniques which are sensitive, affordable, and time saving before they will have widespread impact. This approach also overcomes private property issues, which are a major pitfall in monitoring diseases in complex agricultural and urban settings. In this study, we have applied an emerging technology of electrostatic sampling to the detection of an insect-transmitted plant pathogen as a bioaerosol. Where insects aggregate in large numbers, as with whiteflies, leafhoppers, psyllids and honey bees, the pathogen (ie. virus or bacteria) becoming aerosolized as thousands of excreta droplets fall from the plants during feeding. Agricultural systems have not fully measured the impact of bioaerosols on disease epidemiology. Electrostatic sampling provides a valuable, affordable, method for monitoring for diseases as bioaerosols, which includes plant, animal and human pathogens. This study shows results which successfully used an electrostatic sampling device to collect an aerosolized begomovirus from the air near whiteflies feeding on virus-infected tomato plants.

pathology↗

bioRxiv2018

Evaluation of North American Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Liviidae) population genetics by cytochrome P450 melt curve analysis

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) (Diaphorina citri) is a Hemipteran which feeds on Citrus and is the principal vector of the pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las); the primary causal agent of Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease. Currently HLB is the single greatest threat to the American citrus industry. Previous work has shown that that Cytochrome P450 (CYP4) genes are associated with insecticidal resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides. Infection by Las has also been shown to affect the expression of CYP4 genes. In this study the genetic relationships of ACP populations was evaluated using melting curve analysis of CYP4 genes. Principal component analysis shows the presence of two potential haplotypes. The groups identified by principal component analysis are significantly different from each other (P < 0.05) for all CYP4 genes tested. All populations are most likely within 2-3 mutations of each other. The existence of these mutations sheds light on the potential evolution of ACP in North America. Indicating either coevolution with Las or difference in imidacloprid basal selective pressure in the United States and Mexico.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

The Genomic Basis of Arthropod Diversity

BackgroundArthropods comprise the largest and most diverse phylum on Earth and play vital roles in nearly every ecosystem. Their diversity stems in part from variations on a conserved body plan, resulting from and recorded in adaptive changes in the genome. Dissection of the genomic record of sequence change enables broad questions regarding genome evolution to be addressed, even across hyper-diverse taxa within arthropods.\n\nResultsUsing 76 whole genome sequences representing 21 orders spanning more than 500 million years of arthropod evolution, we document changes in gene and protein domain content and provide temporal and phylogenetic context for interpreting these innovations. We identify many novel gene families that arose early in the evolution of arthropods and during the diversification of insects into modern orders. We reveal unexpected variation in patterns of DNA methylation across arthropods and examples of gene family and protein domain evolution coincident with the appearance of notable phenotypic and physiological adaptations such as flight, metamorphosis, sociality and chemoperception.\n\nConclusionsThese analyses demonstrate how large-scale comparative genomics can provide broad new insights into the genotype to phenotype map and generate testable hypotheses about the evolution of animal diversity.

genomics↗