Assessing the microbiome diversity and antibiotic resistance genes of African and Asian Diaphorina citri populations using Oxford Nanopore sequencing
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Diaphorina citri is a key pest of Citrus sp. Worldwide, as it acts as a vector for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the bacterial pathogen which causes the destructive Huanglongbing (HLB) disease. The study of microbial communities through metagenomics helps to understand their interactions with arthropods, disease transmission, immunity, host resistance and insect host vector competence. Recent reports of the presence of D. citri in Tanzania and Kenya and Las in Ethiopia and Kenya highlights the need to profile the microbiota diversity in the insect vector populations. The identification of key endosymbionts and other bacteria, as well as antibiotic resistance genes in the microbial community within the insect can inform the diversity between the newly introduced African populations and older populations.