Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses of Kuwayama Infected and Non-infected With Liberibacter Asiaticus.

The Asian citrus psyllid is the transmission vector of Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating disease of citrus plants. The bacterium " Liberibacter asiaticus" (Las) associated with HLB is transmitted between host plants by in a circulative manner. Understanding the interaction between Las and its insect vector is key for protecting citrus cultivation from HLB damage. Here, we used RNA sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to analyze the transcriptome and metabolome of interacting with Las. We identified 662 upregulated and 532 downregulated genes in Las-infected insects. These genes were enriched in pathways involving carbohydrate metabolism, the insects' immune system, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. We also detected 105 differential metabolites between Las-infected and non-infected insects, including multiple nucleosides and lipid-related molecules. The integrated analysis revealed nine pathways-including those of the glycine, serine, threonine, and purine metabolism-affected by the differentially expressed genes from both groups. The network for these pathways was subsequently constructed. Our results thus provide insights regarding the cross-talk between the transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in in response to Las infection, as well as information on the pathways and genes/metabolites related to the Las- interaction.