Transcriptome profiling revealed potentially important roles of defensive gene expression in the divergence of insect biotypes: a case study with the cereal aphid Sitobion avenae.

The divergence patterns of transcriptional plasticity in defense related genes may play important roles in the phenotypic evolution and differentiation of S. avenae biotypes. Our results can provide insights into the role of gene expression plasticity in the divergence of insect biotypes and adaptive evolution of insect populations.