Transcriptomic and Proteomic Insights Into Diapause in the Wheat Stink Bug, Aelia rostrata

Abstract

The wheat stink bug, Aelia rostrata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a major pest of wheat in Central Anatolia. This species has an extended adult dormancy period lasting approximately 9 months. This period encompasses summer estivation and winter diapause in mountainous dormancy areas. Despite its economic importance and unusual dormancy biology, the molecular basis of seasonal dormancy in A. rostrata remains unexplored. Here, we combined RNA-seq, proteomics, and lipid content measurements to provide the first molecular insights into estivation and winter diapause responses in the fat body of the wheat stink bug. Transcriptomic enrichment analyses suggested that genes associated with protein synthesis, cytoplasmic translation, and ribosomal activity were enriched during estivation, whereas pathways related to catabolic processes, fatty acid metabolism, and pathogen response were associated with winter diapause. Complementary proteomic analyses identified mitochondrial and chitinase-like proteins with higher abundance during estivation, while proteins related to energy metabolism, including acyl-CoA dehydrogenases, were more abundant during winter diapause. Lipid measurements indicated significantly lower lipid reserves in post-diapause individuals compared to actively feeding adults, consistent with the utilization of lipid stores during dormancy and/or the transition to post-dormancy activity. Overall, this study provides the first transcriptomic and proteomic resource for A. rostrata and offers initial molecular insights into the physiological signatures associated with seasonal dormancy in this economically important pest.