Resisting suppression: Elucidating the mechanisms that allow a specialist moth to feed on immune-suppressive phytochemicals

• Applicant: Dr. Yannick Pauchet, since 12/2016
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions
• Term: from 2011 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 203324618

• Final Report Year: 2020

Final Report Abstract

Most of the RNA-Seq data for this project have already been produced. A reference gene set based on high quality genome assemblies for both Heliothis species is currently being produced. As soon as this reference gene set is there, analysis of the data can be achieved in a reasonable amount of time. To us the most interesting aspects of the project currently resides in our attempts to understand the fate of the phytochemicals present in Physalis fruits upon feeding by both Heliothis species. Currently, a lot of efforts is put to learn the techniques needed to achieve this project as well as the analytics. I am quite confident that the efforts will eventually pay off and great and interesting results will emerge.

Publications

• Immune modulation enables a specialist insect to benefit from antibacterial withanolides in its host plant. Nature Communication, 7, 12530 (2016)
  Barthel A., Vogel H., Pauchet Y., Pauls G., Kunert G., Groot A.T., Boland W., Heckel D.G., Heidel-Fischer H.M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12530)