Rapid and widespread transcriptional plasticity underlies host shift in a specialist herbivore

Daktulosphaira vitifoliae shows highly plastic, host-genotype–responsive transcription after host transfer, with 3,706 genes (28% of expressed genes) differentially expressed across contrasts.

• Why it matters: It remains unclear whether specialist herbivores rely on transcriptional plasticity or epigenome changes to cope with host shifts, limiting mechanistic understanding of host use evolution.
• What they did: The study profiled transcriptomes and DNA methylation using RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing after transferring D. vitifoliae to new host plants, including Vitis vinifera.
• The result: Host-responsive genes were often upregulated on Vitis vinifera and linked to secretory effectors, detoxification, and cuticle/chitin proteins; DNA methylation changed little and correlated with stably expressed genes.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.