Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology最新文献

{"title":"A G-protein coupled receptor is involved in the DUOX pathway in Tribolium castaneum","authors":"Anna Christina Böhringer,&nbsp;Carmen Constanze Sievers,&nbsp;Maximilian Burghaus,&nbsp;Hans Merzendorfer","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Activation of the dual oxidase (DUOX) pathway is an important intestinal defense mechanism against enteric infection triggering the formation of radical oxygen species by stimulating DUOX enzyme activity and/or gene expression. In insects, several studies have suggested that uracil released by pathogenic bacteria functions as a major trigger molecule for the activation of DUOX, which leads to the formation of antimicrobial hypochlorous acid (HOCl). While the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns of microbes by pattern recognition receptors is well understood, the detection of uracil is still elusive. It has been postulated that a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) binds the pyrimidine uracil, which activates PLCβ signalling and further downstream events. So far, no pyrimidinergic receptor has been identified in insects, particularly none that binds uracil nucleotides or sugar derivatives. To identify potential candidates for insect pyrimidine receptors, we used a human P2Y₄ receptor as a template to screen the <em>Tribolium castaneum</em> reference proteome. Four promising receptor candidates were identified, of which two were analyzed using RNA interference to determine their influence on uracil-induced <em>TcDUOX</em> expression, HOCl formation and development in control larvae and larvae that were challenged with the enteric pathogen <em>Bacillus thuringiensis</em>. Silencing <em>TcGPCR41</em> resulted in a loss of uracil-induced <em>TcDUOX</em> expression and HOCl formation. Furthermore, the development of challenged larvae was affected in a manner like that observed in a <em>TcDUOX</em> knockdown. We conclude that the identified receptor may play a role in the uracil-dependent activation of the DUOX-pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104306"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738212","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}

{"title":"HvStaufenC contributes to the high RNAi efficiency in the 28-spotted ladybeetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata","authors":"Zhaoyang Li ,&nbsp;June-Sun Yoon ,&nbsp;Zexin Zhong ,&nbsp;Yalin Ruan ,&nbsp;Chunxiao Yang ,&nbsp;Xuguo Zhou ,&nbsp;Youjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Huipeng Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>RNA interference (RNAi) has been shown to be relatively effective in coleopteran insects, with limited exploration into the molecular mechanisms that underlie this effectiveness. This study specifically examines the 28-spotted ladybeetle, <em>Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata</em> (Hvig), known for its high RNAi efficiency. Here, we utilized RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to identify and validate the genes involved in the RNAi pathway that enhance RNAi efficacy in Hvig. We identified a total of 15 potential genes within the RNAi pathway that may impact RNAi efficiency. The bioassay results showed that only knockdown of <em>HvStaufenC</em> in the 3rd instar larvae could block the abnormal body color phenotype and lethality induced by the subsequent silencing of the two marker genes, <em>HvTH</em> (tyrosine hydroxylase) and <em>HvABCH1</em> (ATP-binding cassette H transporter gene), respectively. Additionally, successful CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of <em>HvStaufenC</em> led to the generation of stable, heritable mutants that exhibited insensitivity to RNAi, displaying no response to RNAi targeting <em>HvTH</em> and <em>HvABCH1</em>. Compared to the wild-type strain, the HvStaufenC knockout (HvStaufenCKO) mutant females demonstrated a 42 % decrease in oviposition rate and a 41.3 % reduction in egg hatchability. This study demonstrates that <em>HvStaufenC</em> gene is crucial for the RNAi efficiency of Hvig and offers new evidence into the RNAi mechanisms in coleopteran species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104304"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704586","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}

{"title":"Ultrabithorax inhibits the expression of myc by directly binding to its 5′-UTR in the posterior silk gland of Bombyx mori","authors":"Qianqian Jiao ,&nbsp;Jiashuang Li ,&nbsp;Yunhui Kong ,&nbsp;Xia Sun ,&nbsp;Sheng Qin ,&nbsp;Muwang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ultrabithorax (<em>Ubx</em>) is a famous gene for insect body segment determination and <em>c-myc</em> plays a crucial role in cell fate and is well-known as proto-oncogene. As two pivotal transcription factors, whether there is a regulatory relationship between them has not yet been reported. In our previous research, we found that excess Ubx can strongly repress the expression of <em>Myc</em> in the posterior silk gland of <em>Bombyx mori</em> (<em>B. mori</em>). One unresolved question is whether Ubx inhibits the <em>Myc</em> expression directly or indirectly. In our current study, multiple Ubx binding sites were identified from the upstream sequence and 5′-UTR of <em>Myc</em>. Meanwhile, the expression profile data in silkDB 3.0 showed that <em>Ubx</em> and <em>Myc</em> were expressed simultaneously in multiple tissues and developmental stages of <em>B. mori</em>. Luciferase reporter assay results indicated that overexpressed <em>Ubx</em> down-regulated the activity of luciferase which was activated by the upstream sequence and 5′-UTR of <em>Myc</em> in BmN cells. Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) confirmed that Ubx bound to the 5′-UTR of <em>Myc</em> directly. Prediction results and ChIP-Seq data suggested that this interaction might be widespread in insects. In conclusion, our study uncovered the relationship between two famous gene, <em>Ubx</em> and <em>Myc</em>, which play critical regulatory roles in insect growth and development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104303"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143699167","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}

{"title":"Taste detection of flonicamid in Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"Muhammad Atif,&nbsp;Youngseok Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flonicamid, a widely used insecticide, presents an intriguing question: does it function as an antifeedant by directly activating bitter-sensing gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) in <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em>. Here, we found that electrophysiological recordings revealed that S-type labellar sensilla exhibited strong neuronal responses to flonicamid, while inhibition of bitter-sensing GRNs nullified this response. Genetic screening identified <em>Gr28b</em>, <em>Gr93a</em>, and <em>Gr98b</em> as essential gustatory receptors for flonicamid detection. Isoform-specific rescue experiments confirmed that <em>Gr28b.a</em> is responsible for restoring sensory responses in <em>Gr28b</em> mutants. Proboscis extension response assays demonstrated that wild-type flies avoided flonicamid, whereas <em>Gr28b</em>, <em>Gr93a</em>, and <em>Gr98b</em> mutants failed to. Functional rescue of these mutants restored the behavioral response, confirming the involvement of these receptors in mediating gustatory aversion. Our findings uncover a novel sensory mechanism for detecting flonicamid through specific gustatory receptors and highlight their potential as molecular targets for insect control strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143668585","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}

{"title":"Functional characterization of vitellogenin unveils novel roles in RHBP uptake and lifespan regulation in the insect vector Rhodnius prolixus","authors":"Jéssica Pereira ,&nbsp;Thamara Rios ,&nbsp;Juliana Amorim ,&nbsp;Allana Faria-Reis ,&nbsp;Elisa de Almeida ,&nbsp;Matheus Neves ,&nbsp;Samara Santos-Araújo ,&nbsp;Lukas Selim ,&nbsp;Felipe Bertuci ,&nbsp;Marcyellen B. Silva ,&nbsp;Raquel Onofre ,&nbsp;Mellisia Brandão ,&nbsp;Bruno Moraes ,&nbsp;Ana Beatriz Walter-Nuno ,&nbsp;Carlos Logullo ,&nbsp;Gabriela O. Paiva-Silva ,&nbsp;Katia C. Gondim ,&nbsp;Isabela Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In insects, vitellogenesis plays a critical role in providing the energy reserves needed for embryonic development as it ensures the accumulation of yolk in the oocytes. Vitellogenin (Vg), the precursor to vitellin (Vt), is primarily synthesized in the fat body of females and transported to the oocytes via receptor-mediated endocytosis. In <em>Rhodnius prolixus</em>, a key vector of Chagas disease, two Vg genes, Vg1 and Vg2, were characterized. These genes share 65 % amino acid identity and present the conserved Vitellogenin_N, DUF1943, and VWD domains typical of Vg proteins across various species. We found that Vg1 is expressed at significantly higher levels than Vg2 in adult females. Still, the expression of both isoforms was also detected in organs such as the flight muscle, midgut, and ovary, as well as in males and nymphs. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Vg1 and Vg2 in adult females resulted in the production of yolk-depleted eggs with drastically reduced levels of Vg and RHBP, the second most import yolk protein in this species. Despite regular oviposition rates, most of these eggs were inviable, highlighting the essential role of Vg and RHBP in embryo development. Although Vg expression was detected in adult males, the mating of Vg-knockdown males with wild-type females did not impact oviposition or egg viability, indicating that male Vg is not crucial for oogenesis in this species. Interestingly, Vg knockdown increased lifespan for both males and females, suggesting additional physiological functions beyond reproduction. These findings reveal the importance of Vg in oogenesis and embryonic development in <em>R. prolixus</em> while also suggesting potential non-reproductive roles of Vg in adult insect physiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104301"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633184","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}

{"title":"Genome editing in hymenoptera","authors":"Hamish A. Salvesen,&nbsp;Peter K. Dearden","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The application of genome editing tools in Hymenoptera has transformative potential for functional genetics and understanding their unique biology. Hymenoptera comprise one of the most diverse Orders of animals, and the development of methods for efficiently creating precise genome modifications could have applications in conservation, pest management and agriculture. To date, sex determination, DNA methylation, taste and smell sensory systems as well as phenotypic markers have been selected for gene editing investigations. From these data, insights into eusociality, the nature of haplodiploidy and the complex communication systems that Hymenoptera possess have provided an understanding of their evolutionary history that has led them to become so diverse and successful.</div><div>Insights from these functional genetics analyses have been supported by the ever-improving suite of CRIPSR tools and further expansion will allow more specific biological hypotheses to be tested and applications beyond the lab. Looking ahead, genome editing tools have potential for Hymenopteran applications in modifying biocontrol agents of agricultural pests and for use in managing invasive species through the development of technologies such as gene drives. This review provides accessibility to information regarding the status of Hymenopteran genome editing, intending to support the considered development of CRISPR tools in novel species as well as innovation and refinement of methods in species in which it has already been achieved.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104300"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620319","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}

{"title":"Functional analysis of the epsilon glutathione S-transferases in the adaptation of Spodoptera litura to xanthotoxin","authors":"Tianxiang Xiao ,&nbsp;Mengqing Deng ,&nbsp;Xiaodan Huang ,&nbsp;Wenxiu Wang ,&nbsp;Xiyue Xu ,&nbsp;Xinyu Zhao ,&nbsp;Jun Li ,&nbsp;Yingjie Jiang ,&nbsp;Bo Pan ,&nbsp;Ziyu He ,&nbsp;Zhiming Yang ,&nbsp;Zhongxiang Sun ,&nbsp;Kai Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104299","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104299","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through long-term coevolution with host plants, insects have evolved sophisticated detoxification systems to counteract plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). However, the precise mechanisms underlying these adaptations remain incompletely characterized. Our previous research identified epsilon glutathione <em>S</em>-transferases (GSTes) as critical mediators of xanthotoxin adaptation in <em>Spodoptera litura</em>, a model linear furanocoumarin. This study reveals that heterologous overexpression of five xanthotoxin-responsive GSTes in <em>Escherichia coli</em> significantly enhances bacterial tolerance to this PSM. Disk diffusion assays and metabolic studies demonstrated that both GSTe1 and GSTe16 mediate xanthotoxin adaptation via dual mechanisms involving antioxidant activity and catalytic metabolism. Fluorescent competitive binding experiments indicated that all five GSTes exhibit non-catalytic xanthotoxin sequestration capabilities. These <em>in vitro</em> observations were complemented by <em>in vivo</em> genetic manipulation of <em>GSTe16</em>, which exhibited the most potent defense activity against xanthotoxin. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated <em>GSTe16</em> knockout in <em>S. litura</em> significantly increased larval susceptibility to xanthotoxin, while transgenic <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> overexpressing <em>GSTe16</em> showed enhanced tolerance to xanthotoxin. Furthermore, the endogenous biosynthesis of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) was provoked upon exposure to xanthotoxin, and 20E application enhanced the larval tolerance to xanthotoxin as well as the expression levels of <em>GSTe16</em>. Dual-luciferase reporter assays identified two functional <em>cis</em>-regulatory elements in the <em>GSTe16</em> promoter that facilitate transcriptional activation by the ecdysone receptor (EcR)/ultraspiracle (USP) heterodimer. Overall, this study elucidates the biochemical defense characteristics and transcriptional responses of GSTes to xanthotoxin in <em>S. litura</em>, providing novel insights into the counter-defense mechanisms of herbivorous insects against host plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104299"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601209","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}

{"title":"Evolution of circadian clock and light-input pathway genes in Hemiptera","authors":"Vlastimil Smykal,&nbsp;Hisashi Tobita ,&nbsp;David Dolezel","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104298","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104298","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Circadian clocks are timekeeping mechanisms that help organisms anticipate periodic alterations of day and night. These clocks are widespread, and in the case of animals, they rely on genetically related components. At the molecular level, the animal circadian clock consists of several interconnected transcription-translation feedback loops. Although the clock setup is generally conserved, some important differences exist even among various insect groups. Therefore, we decided to identify <em>in silico</em> all major clock components and closely related genes in Hemiptera. Our analyses indicate several lineage-specific alterations of the clock setup in Hemiptera, derived from gene losses observed in the complete gene set identified in the outgroup, Thysanoptera, which thus presents the insect lineage with a complete clock setup. <em>Nilaparvata</em> and Fulgoroidea, in general, lost the (6–4)-photolyase, while all Hemiptera lost FBXL3, and several lineage-specific losses of dCRY and jetlag were identified. Importantly, we identified non-canonical splicing variants of <em>period</em> and <em>m-cry</em> genes, which might provide another regulatory mechanism for clock functioning. Lastly, we performed a detailed reconstruction of Hemiptera's light input pathway genetic repertoire and explored the horizontal gene transfer of cryptochrome-DASH from plant to <em>Bemisia</em>. Altogether, this inventory reveals important trends in clock gene evolution and provides a reference for clock research in Hemiptera, including several lineages of important pest species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104298"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143584114","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}

{"title":"Pattern recognition, hemolymph protease-14 activation, and enhancement of lysozyme-mediated bacteria killing by soluble peptidoglycan recognition proteins in Manduca sexta","authors":"Chunxiang Hou ,&nbsp;Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Chao Xiong ,&nbsp;Udeshika Kariyawasam ,&nbsp;Tisheng Shan ,&nbsp;Michael R. Kanost ,&nbsp;Haobo Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) detect invading bacteria during insect immune responses, and some can damage bacterial cell walls. We previously produced <em>M. sexta</em> PGRPs 1–5, 12, and 13, and demonstrated that the PGRP repertoire in hemolymph preferentially detects <em>meso</em>-diaminopimelic acid-peptidoglycans (DAP-PGs). In this study, we found that adding DAP-PGs and PGRPs to larval hemolymph significantly enhanced prophenoloxidase activation beyond the sum of their individual effects. Lys-PG of <em>Micrococcus luteus</em> and PGRP4/5 also displayed the synergy, but Lys-PG of <em>Staphyloccous aureus</em> did not. Structural modeling and ligand docking supported the preferrential binding of DAP-PGs over Lys-PGs. DAP/Lys-PG, PGRP3s/3f/5/13N, and microbe binding protein activated hemolymph protease-14 (HP14), suggesting that these PGRPs initiate the serine protease system in the same way as PGRP1. Using fluorescein-labeled <em>M. luteus</em> peptidoglycan as a substrate, we detected increases in fluorescence signal caused by PGRP2, 4, 13N, 12e, and 3f, suggesting that these PGRPs have amidase activity for hydrolyzing peptidoglycan, which was enhanced by Zn²⁺ and decreased by EDTA. Spatial locations of the catalytic residues, Zn²⁺ ion, and scissile bond in the models of PGRP-peptidoglycan complexes explained some of the activity differences. PGRP2 and PGRP4 had the highest specific activity. Only PGRP4 (60 μg/ml) decreased <em>Bacillus megaterium</em> colony-forming units (CFU) compared to controls, whereas other PGRPs did not affect CFU numbers. A mixture of PGRP1−5 or 3s (2 μg/ml) and <em>Manduca</em> lysozyme (20 μg/ml) significantly reduced CFU compared to lysozyme alone, even for PGRPs without amidase activity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that lysozyme caused structural damage to the bacterial cell walls, and when combined with PGRP2, this effect was enhanced. In summary, the soluble PGRPs preferentially recognize DAP-PGs, stimulate melanization via HP14, and enhance bacterial killing by lysozyme. Mechanisms for the amidase-independent bacterial killing by PGRPs and lysozyme require further exploration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104297"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143584122","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}

{"title":"Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses reveals the diverse venom composition of the spider Neoscona shillongensis","authors":"Wenhao Yin ,&nbsp;Yongming You ,&nbsp;Luke R. Tembrock ,&nbsp;Mengmeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhi Li ,&nbsp;Yulin Zheng ,&nbsp;Yu Zhao ,&nbsp;Zizhong Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104289","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104289","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Neoscona shillongensis</em> (Araneidae), also known as the Shillong orb-weaving spider, is a species that constructs a typically shaped round web, is inactive during the daytime and comes out at dusk to forage, primarily preying on flying insects such as mosquitoes, flies, and moths. This spider serves as an important natural enemy of agricultural and forest pests. <em>Neoscona shillongensis</em> primarily uses its web to capture prey, but its venom also plays a crucial role in subduing and processing prey. To date, no research has been conducted on the composition of <em>N. shillongensis</em> venom. In This study, conducted high-throughput sequencing on the venom gland transcriptome and the venom gland extract proteome. A cDNA library of the venom gland tissue of <em>N. shillongensis</em> was constructed, yielding over 62 million reads, which were assembled into 90,481 sequences, predicting 171 toxin-like sequences, including 94 peptide toxins and 77 protein toxins. Furthermore, proteomic analyses of the venom gland extract samples identified 53 peptides and proteins, including 23 peptide toxins and 30 enzymes or proteins such as acetylcholinesterase, hyaluronidase, and astacin-like metalloproteases. The results revealed that the toxin composition of <em>N. shillongensis</em> is diverse and complex. This study provides essential baseline data for further research on the evolution and physiological activity of spider venom, as well as the potential development of pharmaceutical compounds therefrom.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":330,"journal":{"name":"Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 104289"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143571886","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}