Male-Biased microRNA Discovery in the Pea Aphid

Pea Aphid

Host races of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum differ in male wing phenotypes.

The evolution of reproductive isolation without geographic isolation (sympatric speciation) has recently gained strong theoretical and empirical supports. It is now widely admitted that many host-specific phytophagous insect species have arisen through shifting and adapting to new plants. The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum has received considerable attention in this context and is now considered...

Role of nitrogen content of pea (Pisum sativum L.) on pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris) establishment

The leaf nitrogen content is generally accepted as an indicator of food quality and as a factor affecting host selection by phytophagous insects. The alate pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, Aphididae) were given a choice among non-nodulated pea plants (Pisum sativum L.) supplied with one of four nitrate-N levels (0, 3, 15 and 30 mM). When whole plants were exposed to aphids for 7 days, th...

Masculinization of the X Chromosome in the Pea Aphid

Evolutionary theory predicts that sexually antagonistic mutations accumulate differentially on the X chromosome and autosomes in species with an XY sex-determination system, with effects (masculinization or feminization of the X) depending on the dominance of mutations. Organisms with alternative modes of inheritance of sex chromosomes offer interesting opportunities for studying sexual conflic...

Genetics of Color Polymorphism in the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

The genetic basis of color polymorphism is explored in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Sternorrhyncha), in which two color morphs have been described (pink or green). Laboratory crosses and a Mendelian genetic analysis reveal that color polymorphism in pea aphids is determined by a single biallelic locus, which we name colorama, with alleles P and p, pink being dominant ...