Transcriptomic analysis of interactions between Hyphantria cunea larvae and nucleopolyhedrovirus

BACKGROUND Hyphantria cunea is a destructive forest pest. To utilise H. cunea nucleopolyhedrovirus (HcNPV) for biological control, understanding insect‐virus interactions is essential. RESULTS Four cDNA libraries were constructed from H. cunea larvae (two HcNPV‐infected and two uninfected groups) and 76 004 expressed genes were obtained by next‐generation sequencing. Compared with controls, 272 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in infected groups, including 162 up‐regulated and 110 down‐regulated genes. Transcription levels of 20 random DEGs were consistent with the Solexa expression profiles obtained by quantitative real‐time PCR. DEGs associated with innate immunity were grouped into several categories, including pattern recognition proteins, heat‐shock proteins, UDP‐glycosyltransferases, cytochrome P450s, antimicrobial peptides and hormonal signalling proteins. Interestingly, up‐regulated host genes included farnesoic acid O‐methyltransferase, two juvenile hormone (JH) binding proteins, and a circadian clock‐controlled protein related to JH regulation. Pathway enrichment analysis indicates that mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways, key candidate genes and important biological pathways may be associated with molecular modification in H. cunea larvae in response to virus stress. CONCLUSION These findings provide insight for future research on the molecular mechanisms of HcNPV invasion and anti‐HcNPV mechanisms in H. cunea. A better understanding of gene regulation following HcNPV invasion could help to develop the virus as a bio‐insecticide. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry A better understanding is necessary for insect‐virus interactions. The transcriptomes of HcNPV‐ and non‐infected H. cunea larvae were constructed for expand our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of HcNPV invasion and could assist biological control applications.