Skip to main content
Entomology 2025 Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
 
Oral Presentation
Oral Presentation
Poster Display
Poster Display
Student Competition
Student Competition
Ticketed Event
Ticketed Event

Poster Display

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Poster: PBT, Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology

D3329: Differential regulation of GPCR genes in two pests feeding on distinct hemp cultivars

Tuesday, November 11, 2025
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Pacific
Location: Exhibit Hall A-A1, OCC
Poster Display
The chemical composition of hemp cultivars plays a critical role in shaping pest behavior and gene expression in herbivorous insects. This study investigates the regulation of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) genes in two key hemp pests—cannabis aphid (Phorodon cannabis) and the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)—provided with fiber hemp varieties (Henola, Bialobrzeskie) versus CBD-rich cultivars (Citrus, BaOx, Cherry Dwarf) for feeding. Transcriptomic analyses revealed species-specific responses such that in P. cannabis, only a small subset of GPCR genes (≤7.88%) were differentially expressed, primarily down-regulated on CBD-rich cultivars. In contrast, T. urticae showed significant regulation of a larger portion of GPCR genes (20–61%), with most being up-regulated on CBD-rich plants. These transcriptional patterns were validated by RT-qPCR and corresponded with field observations, where T. urticae populations were more abundant on CBD-rich cultivars, while P. cannabis preferred fiber hemp. Our hypothesis is that the chemical composition of different hemp cultivars (fiber vs. CBD-rich) differentially regulates GPCR gene expression in herbivorous pests, influencing their host preference and population dynamics. The results indicates that the up-regulation of GPCR genes in T. urticae may facilitate its preference of CBD-rich varieties, whereas the downregulation in P. cannabis could hinder its preference for these varieties. These findings advance our understanding of pest-crop molecular interactions and provide insight into the development of cultivar-based pest management strategies in hemp agriculture.