INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN THE INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER (ITS) REGION OF GREEN PEACH APHID MYZUS PERSICAE [(SULZER) (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE)] UNDER ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CO2 PRESSURE.

The continuously increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ is predicted to affect biological processes at many levels of organisms. Yet, no study exists in the literature attempting to describe that the elevated atmospheric CO₂ (eCO₂) concentration may cause an evolutionary response on nucleotide sequences of ribosomal DNA of Myzus persicae [(Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)]. Here, we provide a preliminary study to understand how the insect ribosomal DNA sequences are influenced under the elevated CO₂ levels after several generations. Four M. persicae populations were established for 35 days under ambient CO₂ (a CO₂) (400 ppm), e CO₂ (600 ppm), e CO₂ (800 ppm) and e CO₂ (1000 ppm) at 29ºC in moisture-controlled greenhouse chambers. Intraspecific variation of M. periscae was assessed by the sequencing and analyzing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) under elevated atmospheric CO₂ pressure. Based on our results, the phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences differentiated the individuals grown at 800 ppm CO₂ level. The alignment of ITS sequences of all specimens revealed several single-nucleotide substitutions on the nucleotide sequence of M. persicae samples grown at 800 ppm CO₂ level. Overall results show that the elevated atmospheric CO₂ levels could be a powerful evolutionary force than expected on M. persicae reared on eggplants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]