Characterization and expression profiling of microRNAs in response to plant feeding in two host-plant strains of the lepidopteran pest Spodoptera frugiperda.

In the current study, we performed the first systematic analysis of miRNAs in Lepidopteran pests feeding on host-plants. We identified a set of the differentially expressed miRNAs that respond to the plant diet, or differ constitutively between the two host plant strains. Among the latter, the ones that are also deregulated in response to host-plant are molecular candidates underlying a complex adaptive trait.