Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal the responses of brown planthoppers to RH resistant rice cultivar

The brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is one of the most destructive rice pests in Asia. The application of insect-resistant rice cultivars is currently one of the principal means of controlling BPH. Understanding the physiological response mechanisms of BPH feeding on insect-resistant rice is the key for maintaining rice yield. Here, we measured the ecological fitness and analyzed the whole-body transcriptome and metabolome of BPH reared on susceptible cultivar Taichung Native 1 (TN1) and resistant cultivar Rathu Heenati (RH). Our results showed that RH significantly decreased the survival rate, female adult weight, honeydew secretion, the number of eggs laid per female and fat content of BPH. We identified 333 upregulated and 486 downregulated genes in BPH feeding on RH. These genes were mainly involved in energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, hormone synthesis and vitamin metabolism pathways. We also detected 145 differentially accumulated metabolites in BPH reared on RH plants compared to BPH reared on TN1 plants, including multiple carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, and some nucleosides. Combined analyses of transcriptome and metabolome showed that five pathways, including starch, sucrose, and galactose metabolism, were altered. The network for these pathways was subsequently visualized. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms of metabolite accumulation in BPH feeding on the RH rice variety. The results could help us better understand how insect-resistant rice cultivars combat BPH infestation, which is important for the comprehensive management of BPH.