title: Characterisation of GST genes from the Chinese white pine beetle Dendroctonus armandi (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and their response to host chemical defence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bark beetles rely on their detoxifying enzymes to resist the defensive terpenoids of host trees. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) conjugate xenobiotic compounds with a glutathione moiety (GSH) and often work in tandem with cytochromes P450 or other enzymes that aid in the detoxification, sequestration or excretion of toxic compounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified nine new GST genes in the Chinese white pine beetle (Dendroctonus armandi) and carried out a bioinformatics analysis on the deduced full-length amino acid sequences. These genes belong to four different classes (epsilon, sigma, omega and theta). Differential transcript levels of each class of GST genes were observed between sexes, and, within these levels, significant differences were found among the different adult substages that were fed phloem of Pinus armandi and exposed to six stimuli [(±)-α-pinene, (-)-α-pinene, (-)-β-pinene, (+)-3-carene, (±)-limonene and turpentine] at 8 and 24 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased transcription levels of GST genes suggested that they have some relationship with the detoxification of terpenoids that are released by host trees. The mediating oxidative stress that is caused by monoterpene might be the main role of the bark beetle GSTs.
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Junning
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Mingyuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Haoqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Ranran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D019295:Computational Biology; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000494:pharmacology; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry*; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D015262:Xenobiotics; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D005982:Glutathione Transferase
keywords: Dendroctonus armandi; detoxification; glutathione S-transferases; terpenoid; transcript level