D3536: De novo transcriptomic resources for the cotton seed bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis Costa (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)

The cotton seed bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis Costa (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), is a pest of cotton and other plants in the order Malvales. Native to Africa, this pest has spread globally and is currently threatening key cotton growing regions in the southern US. The development of molecular resources is critical to creating control strategies for this pest. Here, we present transcriptomic resources for this pest species to facilitate future study as well as help develop molecular control strategies. We used Trinity to assembly a de novo transcriptome using RNAseq data from multiple life stages, including the egg mass, 2^nd instar, 4^th instar and both female and male adults. To illustrate the utility of the produced transcriptomic resources, DESeq2 was used to conduct differential gene expression analysis across different life stages to identify genes and processes critical to the life cycle of the cotton seed bug. Additionally, several gene families (including Arylphorin, Angiotensin-converting enzyme, Aminopeptidase-N, Cathepsin, Carboxylesterase, Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase, Glutathione S-Transferase, and Odorant-Binding Protein) were selected for phylogenetic analysis based on their functions involving xenobiotic detoxification and sensory detection. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for each gene family using sequences from O. hyalinipennis as well as several other hemipteran species using RAxML. Trees were then examined to identify evolutionary trends within the focal gene families.