Journal of insect physiology最新文献

A C-type lectin of Helicoverpa armigera maintains the stability of the hemolymph microbiota by regulating the expression of lysozyme

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-04-04 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104799

Guijie Wang , Jialin Wang , Xusheng Liu

{"title":"A C-type lectin of Helicoverpa armigera maintains the stability of the hemolymph microbiota by regulating the expression of lysozyme","authors":"Guijie Wang , Jialin Wang , Xusheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An increasing body of evidence suggests that the insect hemolymph is not a sterile environment and that various nonpathogenic microorganisms can stably or transiently inhabit the hemolymph in many insect species. However, little is currently known about how the insect immune system maintains microbial homeostasis within the hemolymph. In this study, a C-type lectin of <em>Helicoverpa armigera</em> (HaCTL6) was shown to be involved in maintaining the stability of the hemolymph microbiota. The expression of <em>H. armigera</em> antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes was down-regulated after RNAi of HaCTL6. Moreover, the knockdown of HaCTL6 resulted in a decrease in the antibacterial activity and an increase in the total bacterial load of the hemolymph. Transcriptome analysis showed that a lysozyme (HaLysozyme-like) was significantly down-regulated after HaCTL6 RNAi. Moreover, the knockdown of HaLysozyme-like led to a decrease in the antibacterial activity and an increase in the total bacterial load of the hemolymph. Furthermore, the injection of recombinant HaLysozyme-like into the hemocoel caused a significant reduction in the total number of bacteria in the hemolymph. These results indicate that HaCTL6 may regulate the homeostasis of bacteria in the hemolymph by utilizing HaLysozyme-like as an effector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104799"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143795655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Evidence for a command neuron controlling calling song in the cricket Gryllus assimilis

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104798

Chu-Cheng Lin, Berthold Hedwig

{"title":"Evidence for a command neuron controlling calling song in the cricket Gryllus assimilis","authors":"Chu-Cheng Lin, Berthold Hedwig","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In invertebrates stereotypical behaviours may be controlled by command neurons. In the field cricket <em>Gryllus bimaculatus</em> a command neuron descending from the brain controls the generation of rhythmic wing movements underlying calling song. We analysed if a corresponding command neuron also exists in other cricket species. Our intracellular recording and stimulation experiments point to a putative command neuron for calling song in <em>G. assimilis</em>, although the structure of the neuron could not be revealed. When this neuron was depolarised to generate 50 AP/s the cricket raised its forewings into singing position, it started rhythmic wing movements and produced the typical species-specific calling song. Further enhancing the spike rate of the neuron increased the chirp repetition rate but not the pulse repetition rate. Blocking the spike activity of the neuron by hyperpolarizing current injection reduced the chirp repetition rate and could terminate singing activity. Our evidence indicates that the two species, <em>G. assimilis</em> and <em>G. bimaculatus</em>, have homologous neurons for controlling calling song, which may be a conserved phenotype across cricket species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104798"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Protein-rich trophallactic contents transferred from reproductives are crucial for termite soldier differentiation in Zootermopsis nevadensis

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104797

Hajime Yaguchi , Makoto Matsushita , Kiyoto Maekawa

{"title":"Protein-rich trophallactic contents transferred from reproductives are crucial for termite soldier differentiation in Zootermopsis nevadensis","authors":"Hajime Yaguchi , Makoto Matsushita , Kiyoto Maekawa","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyphenic castes exist for colony success in social animals. A primer pheromone has been suggested as a well-known regulator of caste development, but the basis of chemical communication has remained elusive over the last few decades. In termites, a long-standing hypothesis is that reproductive-secreted juvenile hormone (JH) plays a role as a primer pheromone involved in soldier differentiation. Here, we tested whether exogenous JH is necessary to induce differentiation of soldiers in the dampwood termite <em>Zootermopsis nevadensis</em>. The unique characteristic of this termite is that soldier-destined individuals can be monitored during their ontogeny under natural conditions. Furthermore, oral–anal trophallactic interactions with reproductives are required for soldier differentiation. First, knockdown of JH biosynthetic genes using RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in the reduction of soldier formation but did not affect the frequency of trophallactic interaction from reproductives to RNAi-treated individuals. Next, we compared the effect of parental replacement on soldier differentiation. Old-age reproductives had fewer stimulus effects on the differentiation of soldier-destined individuals compared to young-age reproductives. This difference in stimulus effects was derived from the protein levels within the digestive fluids of the king, but not those of the queen. Consequently, there is little or no possibility that JH itself plays a role as a primer pheromone. Alternatively, we propose that protein-rich nutrients in trophallactic fluids from reproductives are sufficient to induce high JH levels in larvae required for soldier differentiation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143743011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Fusion of silkworm polar body nuclei

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-03-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104795

Hiroki Sakai , Shuichiro Tomita , Takeshi Yokoyama

{"title":"Fusion of silkworm polar body nuclei","authors":"Hiroki Sakai , Shuichiro Tomita , Takeshi Yokoyama","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polar bodies are produced during the development of oocytes. In many animals, polar bodies extrude from the egg and typically degenerate after the meiotic maturation of the oocyte. However, in insects, polar body nuclei remain within the egg and neither extrude nor degenerate during early embryogenesis. Previously, we reported that in the silkworm (<em>Bombyx mori</em>), the polar body nuclei differentiate into serosa cells. In this study, we observed the behavior of polar body nuclei during early embryogenesis using a tissue clearing method. Individuals with a reduced number of polar body nuclei were observed around 4–6 h after egg laying during incubation at 25℃, and after 6 h, the polar body nuclei were observed to have increased in number in some individuals. Analysis using serosa cell mutants (<em>pe</em> and <em>re</em>) revealed that most of the polar body-derived serosa cells had undergone fusion of the polar body nuclei. These findings indicate that in silkworms, polar body nuclei fuse approximately 4–6 h after egg laying, which corresponds to the cleavage stage, during which fertilized nuclei divide into several to dozens of nuclei. In some individuals, the fused polar body nuclei divide, increase in number, and differentiate into serosa cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104795"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143724752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Activation of mating-related behavior by serotonin in males of the Japanese yellow hornet Vespa simillima

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-03-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104796

Tomohiro Watanabe , Takafumi Onuma , Masakazu Nishimura , Ayaka Morigami , Masato Ono , Ken Sasaki

{"title":"Activation of mating-related behavior by serotonin in males of the Japanese yellow hornet Vespa simillima","authors":"Tomohiro Watanabe , Takafumi Onuma , Masakazu Nishimura , Ayaka Morigami , Masato Ono , Ken Sasaki","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The behavioral physiology of males in social wasps has received little attention, despite the importance of male behavior adapted to complex social environments. To explore the roles of brain biogenic amines in mating-related behavior in male Japanese yellow hornets (<em>Vespa simillima</em>), we first determined the development of mating-related behavior and age-related changes to biogenic amines in the brain. The activities of locomotion, flight, and mating in the males increased with day-age by 1 week after emergence. Testes size decreased within 1 week after adult emergence, suggesting that male sexual maturation may be complete with the development of mating-related behavior. Serotonin levels in the brain increased with age in parallel to the behavioral activities. Dopamine levels in the brain peaked at 2 days of age and then decreased with age, whereas octopamine levels in the brain decreased with age. Thus, serotonin was a candidate compound activating mating-related behavior in males. We then examined the effects of serotonin on the mating-related behavior of males using serotonin injections. Injections of serotonin significantly enhanced activities of locomotion, flight, and mating, depending on serotonin concentration. Those results suggested that serotonin activates mating-related behavior in male hornets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104796"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143724751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Knockdown of a chemosensory protein disrupts soil-guided behavior of a subterranean larval pest

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-03-15 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104793

Paula Lizana , Camila Muñoz , Ana Mutis , Leonardo Velasco , Rubén Palma-Millanao , Andrés Quiroz , Herbert Venthur

{"title":"Knockdown of a chemosensory protein disrupts soil-guided behavior of a subterranean larval pest","authors":"Paula Lizana , Camila Muñoz , Ana Mutis , Leonardo Velasco , Rubén Palma-Millanao , Andrés Quiroz , Herbert Venthur","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104793","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, RNA interference (RNAi) has become a widely studied tool for the functional analysis of genes and more recently, for pest control. <em>Hylamorpha elegans</em> (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a beetle endemic to Chile, considered an important pest during its larval stage as white grubs, feeding on organic matter (OM) and crop roots (e.g., wheat and red clover). Its control is limited due to its subterranean behavior. Thus, studying a chemosensory system as a fundamental part of the transport and recognition of chemicals from the environment could provide new targets for the knowledge and control of this beetle. Recently, chemosensory genes have been identified for <em>H. elegans</em> white grubs, and a chemosensory protein (CSP) was selected. This study aimed to evaluate the functional role of a highly expressed CSP in the subterranean behavior of white grubs. For this purpose, food preference assays were performed and standardized. Afterward, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was synthesized based on a selected CSP. A chosen preference assay was conducted using white grubs treated with dsRNA. Findings showed that white grubs prefer peat with high OM over red clover roots. Additionally, the CSP gene is upregulated when OM content increases. Finally, the knockdown of the CSP led to a disruption in soil-guided behavior. This protein may represent a novel target to be studied in the frame of management strategies for <em>H. elegans</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104793"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Timing of starvation determines its effects on susceptibility to bacterial infection in female fruit flies independent of host evolutionary history

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-03-15 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104794

Aabeer Basu , Aparajita Singh, Nagaraj Guru Prasad

{"title":"Timing of starvation determines its effects on susceptibility to bacterial infection in female fruit flies independent of host evolutionary history","authors":"Aabeer Basu , Aparajita Singh, Nagaraj Guru Prasad","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An organism’s susceptibility to pathogens is contingent on various environmental factors, including the availability of nutrition. Starvation can alter host susceptibility to infections, either directly via depletion of resources essential for proper functioning of the immune system, or indirectly via the various physiological changes it induces within the host body. We tested if the susceptibility of <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> populations to <em>Enterococcus faecalis</em> infection is interactively affected by (a) whether the hosts are starved before or after the infection, and (b) the evolutionary history of the host. Hosts from laboratory fly populations that have been experimentally evolved to be more resistant to <em>E. faecalis</em>, and their corresponding control populations, were subjected to infection with or without being starved prior to and after being infected. We found that the effect of starvation on susceptibility to <em>E. faecalis</em> changed with the timing of starvation: starvation after infection improved survival of infected hosts, irrespective of how they were treated before infection, while starving only prior to infection (and not after) compromised post-infection survival. The changes in infection susceptibility were uniform in both the evolved and the control populations, suggesting that the effects of starvation are not dependent on pre-existing resistance to the infecting pathogen.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

LmCHS1 mediates pro-nymphal cuticle formation in Locusta migratoria embryogenesis

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-03-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104792

Yanjun Huo , Qing Dong , Xiaojian Liu , Jianzhen Zhang , Xueyao Zhang , Min Zhang , Tingting Zhang

{"title":"LmCHS1 mediates pro-nymphal cuticle formation in Locusta migratoria embryogenesis","authors":"Yanjun Huo , Qing Dong , Xiaojian Liu , Jianzhen Zhang , Xueyao Zhang , Min Zhang , Tingting Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The pro-nymphal cuticle, serving as a protective structure that facilitates environmental adaptation, is critical for insect embryonic development. However, the mechanisms governing its formation remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the important role of chitin synthase (LmCHS1) in the formation of the pro-nymphal cuticle during embryonic development in <em>Locusta migratoria</em>. The pro-nymphal cuticle begins to form in 8-day-old embryos (E8) and undergoes degradation by E12, coinciding with the preparatory phase (E13-E14) for hatching of the first-instar nymph. Spatiotemporal expression analysis indicated that <em>LmCHS1</em> mRNA levels are elevated before cuticle formation, with protein localization peaking at the plasma membrane during active chitin synthesis (E8-E11). Targeting <em>LmCHS1</em> through embryonic RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in developmental failures during late embryogenesis. Additionally, ultrastructural analysis confirmed that silencing <em>LmCHS1</em> disrupts the normal chitin structure in the pro-nymphal cuticle. Further investigation into the ecological function of <em>LmCHS1</em> in adapting the pro-nymphal cuticle to dry environments revealed that the tolerance of embryo to various dry conditions is significantly reduced after konckdown of <em>LmCHS1</em>. In summary, these findings highlight the essential role of chitin synthase in the formation of the pro-nymphal cuticle in locust embryos, underscoring its importance in embryonic development and adaptation to environmental challenges like desiccation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104792"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Differential regulation of reproduction and molting by juvenile hormone in aphids

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-03-04 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104791

Haolin Li , Xue Kong , Dongyu Yang , Yan Fang , Han Yang , Wenjie Zhang , Jiguang Wei , Xuesheng Li

{"title":"Differential regulation of reproduction and molting by juvenile hormone in aphids","authors":"Haolin Li , Xue Kong , Dongyu Yang , Yan Fang , Han Yang , Wenjie Zhang , Jiguang Wei , Xuesheng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Insects rely on juvenile hormones to regulate various physiological processes, including reproduction and molting; currently eight forms of this hormone are known. In most insects, only JH Ⅲ is synthesized. Meanwhile, aphids produce JH Ⅲ and JH Ⅲ skipped bisepoxide (JHSB<sub>3</sub>). However, it remains unclear whether these compounds play distinct roles in functional regulation. In this study, we demonstrated that the tested concentrations of JH Ⅲ effectively increased the number of aphid offspring, whereas high concentrations of JHSB<sub>3</sub> affected the molting process. Drip experiments showed that 10 mg/L JH Ⅲ increased the number of offspring from 39.38 ± 8.03 to 56.50 ± 13.17, whereas 10 mg/L JHSB<sub>3</sub> resulted in a 60.00 %± 5.77 % failure rate in molting before adulthood. Transcriptomic analysis also revealed that in the JH Ⅲ treatment group, 9 genes and 7 pathways associated with reproduction were expressed, but not genes or pathways associated with molting. In addition, 16 genes and 9 pathways associated with molting as well as 5 genes and 4 pathways associated with reproduction were identified in the JHSB<sub>3</sub> treatment group. JH Ⅲ promotes reproduction in aphids by enhancing <em>Vg</em> expression, whereas JHSB<sub>3</sub> affects molting by inhibiting the synthesis of molting hormone–related enzymes. The results indicate that JH Ⅲ and JHSB<sub>3</sub> exhibit diverse functions in <em>Aphis craccivora</em>. The findings have significant implications for further studies on the physiological functions of different JHs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104791"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143567399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

AaHR78 mediates the effects of 20E on growth and reproduction in Aedes aegypti

IF 2.3 2区农林科学

Journal of insect physiology Pub Date : 2025-02-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104790

Yaneng Huang , Xue Gong , Lingling Yu , Yanan Yin , Yuqi Huang , Mingtian Jiang , Qian Han , Chenghong Liao

{"title":"AaHR78 mediates the effects of 20E on growth and reproduction in Aedes aegypti","authors":"Yaneng Huang , Xue Gong , Lingling Yu , Yanan Yin , Yuqi Huang , Mingtian Jiang , Qian Han , Chenghong Liao","doi":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104790","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104790","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nuclear receptors are critical components of various physiological pathways, significantly influencing insect signal transduction. Although the role of HR78 in tracheal and nervous system development has been well-studied, its function during transformation and reproduction remains underexplored. This study characterizes the nuclear receptor gene <em>AaHR78</em> in <em>Aedes aegypti</em>, which possesses distinct sequence features, including a DNA-binding domain and a ligand-binding domain. <em>AaHR78</em> spans 3117 base pairs with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1892 base pairs. Temporal and spatial transcription abundance analysis revealed that <em>AaHR78</em> is predominantly expressed during the pupal stage, peaking at the white pupal phase. Notable transcription abundance levels were detected in the ovaries, thoraxes, and heads of female mosquitoes. Using RNA interference (RNAi) in <em>Ae. aegypti</em> larvae and adults, we investigated the functional role of <em>AaHR78</em>. Larval interference experiments demonstrated that <em>AaHR78</em> knockdown disrupted genes associated with the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) synthesis and signaling pathways, resulting in elevated 20E levels and accelerated pupation. In adult females, <em>AaHR78</em> knockdown impaired ovarian development by reducing systemic 20E levels, subsequently decreasing egg production. Furthermore, our results confirm that 20E can directly induce <em>AaHR78</em> transcription abundance. In conclusion, <em>AaHR78</em> plays a pivotal role in mediating the effects of 20E on larval development and adult reproduction in <em>Ae. aegypti</em>. These findings provide valuable insights into the <em>AaHR78</em>-20E regulatory network and its potential as a molecular target for mosquito control strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16189,"journal":{"name":"Journal of insect physiology","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104790"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0