title: Larval nutrition-induced plasticity affects reproduction and gene expression of the ladybeetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Organisms may develop into multiple phenotypes under different nutritional environments by developmental plasticity, whereas the potential costs and mechanisms of such plasticity are poorly understood. Here we examined the fitness and gene expression of nutrition-induced phenotypes in the ladybeetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri after having experienced varying larval food regimes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that C. montrouzieri adults undergoing a variable larval food regime achieved a similar developmental time, survival, body mass and egg production as those undergoing a high larval food regime. The survival, developmental time, body mass and fecundity of the adults from a restricted larval food regime were inferior to those from the high and variable larval food regimes. However, the adults from this restricted larval food regime had a higher expression level of genes encoding immune- and antioxidant-related enzymes than those from the high and variable larval food regimes when exposed to starvation and pesticide conditions in adult life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that larval food availability in C. montrouzieri not only triggers adult phenotypic differences but also affects reproduction and expression level of genes in adult life, indicating that the larval nutritional conditions can affect adult fitness and resistance to stressful conditions through developmental plasticity.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.|Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jiaqin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium. Patrick.DeClercq@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Clercq
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
authors.forename: Haosen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Entomological Institute, Guangzhou, 510260, China.
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China. lsshpang@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D015870:Gene Expression; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012098:Reproduction