Genome of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), a globally significant invasive species, reveals key functional and evolutionary innovations at the beetle-plant interface.
Relatively little is known about the genomic basis and evolution of wood-feeding in beetles. We undertook genome sequencing and annotation, gene expression assays, studies of plant cell wall degrading enzymes, and other functional and comparative studies of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, a globally significant invasive species capable of inflicting severe feeding damage on many important tree species. Complementary studies of genes encoding enzymes involved in digestion of woody plant tissues or detoxification of plant allelochemicals were undertaken with the genomes of 14 additional insects, including the newly sequenced emerald ash borer and bull-headed dung beetle.



The Asian longhorned beetle genome encodes a uniquely diverse arsenal of enzymes that can degrade the main polysaccharide networks in plant cell walls, detoxify plant allelochemicals, and otherwise facilitate feeding on woody plants. It has the metabolic plasticity needed to feed on diverse plant species, contributing to its highly invasive nature. Large expansions of chemosensory genes involved in the reception of pheromones and plant kairomones are consistent with the complexity of chemical cues it uses to find host plants and mates.



Amplification and functional divergence of genes associated with specialized feeding on plants, including genes originally obtained via horizontal gene transfer from fungi and bacteria, contributed to the addition, expansion, and enhancement of the metabolic repertoire of the Asian longhorned beetle, certain other phytophagous beetles, and to a lesser degree, other phytophagous insects. Our results thus begin to establish a genomic basis for the evolutionary success of beetles on plants.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Ave., Memphis, TN, 38152, USA. dmckenna@memphis.edu.|Feinstone Center for Genomic Research, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA. dmckenna@memphis.edu.
Duane D
DD
McKenna
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health, Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research Unit, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA.
Erin D
ED
Scully
Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany.
Yannick
Y
Pauchet
Department of Entomology and Center for Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Kelli
K
Hoover
Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany.
Roy
R
Kirsch
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Daniel K Inouye US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA.
Scott M
SM
Geib
Center for Insect Science and Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.|Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, 54901, USA.
Robert F
RF
Mitchell
Department of Genetic Medicine and Development and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland.|The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
Robert M
RM
Waterhouse
Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany.
Seung-Joon
SJ
Ahn
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Deanna
D
Arsala
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
Joshua B
JB
Benoit
Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
Heath
H
Blackmon
Center for Insect Science and Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
Tiffany
T
Bledsoe
Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA.
Julia H
JH
Bowsher
Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany.
André
A
Busch
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Daniel K Inouye US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA.
Bernarda
B
Calla
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Hsu
H
Chao
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Biosciences Research Laboratory, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA.
Anna K
AK
Childers
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
Christopher
C
Childers
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Ave., Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
Dave J
DJ
Clarke
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Lorna
L
Cohen
Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
Jeffery P
JP
Demuth
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Huyen
H
Dinh
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
HarshaVardhan
H
Doddapaneni
Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
Amanda
A
Dolan
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Beneficial Insects Introduction Research, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
Jian J
JJ
Duan
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Shannon
S
Dugan
Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
Markus
M
Friedrich
School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
Karl M
KM
Glastad
School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
Michael A D
MA
Goodisman
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Ave., Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
Stephanie
S
Haddad
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Yi
Y
Han
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Daniel S T
DS
Hughes
Department of Genetic Medicine and Development and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland.
Panagiotis
P
Ioannidis
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
J Spencer
JS
Johnston
Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
Jeffery W
JW
Jones
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Computers Science and Engineering, and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
Leslie A
LA
Kuhn
USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Pest and Quarantine, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Otis Laboratory, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA.
David R
DR
Lance
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.|Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
Chien-Yueh
CY
Lee
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Sandra L
SL
Lee
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.|Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
Han
H
Lin
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Jeremy A
JA
Lynch
Department of Biology, Indiana University, Blomington, IN, 47405, USA.
Armin P
AP
Moczek
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Shwetha C
SC
Murali
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Donna M
DM
Muzny
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
David R
DR
Nelson
Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
Subba R
SR
Palli
Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
Kristen A
KA
Panfilio
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Dan
D
Pers
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
Monica F
MF
Poelchau
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Honghu
H
Quan
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Jiaxin
J
Qu
Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA.
Ann M
AM
Ray
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Biosciences Research Laboratory, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA.
Joseph P
JP
Rinehart
Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
Hugh M
HM
Robertson
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Biosciences Research Laboratory, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA.
Richard
R
Roehrdanz
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
Andrew J
AJ
Rosendale
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Ave., Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
Seunggwan
S
Shin
Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
Christian
C
Silva
Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA.
Alex S
AS
Torson
Institute for Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany.
Iris M Vargas
IM
Jentzsch
Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
John H
JH
Werren
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Kim C
KC
Worley
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center, Biosciences Research Laboratory, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA.
George
G
Yocum
Department of Genetic Medicine and Development and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland.
Evgeny M
EM
Zdobnov
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Richard A
RA
Gibbs
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. stephenr@bcm.edu.
Stephen
S
Richards
D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D049750:Genome, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D058865:Introduced Species; D007814:Larva; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014197:Trees / Q000469:parasitology
Chemoperception; Detoxification; Glycoside hydrolase; Horizontal gene transfer; Phytophagy; Xylophagy