Long-wave opsin involved in body color plastic development in Nilaparvata lugens

BMC Genomics

Research

Ze-Dong Li¹  Hai-Jian Huang²  Zhuang-Xin Ye²  Jia-Bao Lu²  Jian-Ping Chen²  Jun-Min Li²  Chuan-Xi Zhang³ 

[1] Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China;State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, 315211, Ningbo, China;State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, 315211, Ningbo, China;Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China;

关键词: Opsin;    Melanization;    Body color;    RNAi;    Transcriptome;    Genome;    Nilaparvata lugens;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12864-023-09470-7

 received in 2023-05-08, accepted in 2023-06-20,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAs one of the components of visual photopigments in photoreceptor cells, opsin exhibits different spectral peaks and plays crucial roles in visual function. Besides, it is discovered to evolve other functions despite color vision. However, research on its unconventional function is limited nowadays. With the increase in genome database numbers, various numbers and types of opsins have been identified in insects due to gene duplications or losses. The Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera) is a rice pest known for its long-distance migration capability. In this study, opsins were identified in N. lugens and characterized by genome and transcriptome analyses. Meanwhile, RNA interference (RNAi) was carried out to investigate the functions of opsins, and then the Illumina Novaseq 6000 platform-based transcriptome sequencing was performed to reveal gene expression patterns.ResultsFour opsins belonging to G protein-coupled receptors were identified in the N. lugens genome, including one long-sensitive opsin (Nllw) together with two ultraviolet-sensitive opsins (NlUV1/2) and an additional new opsin with hypothesized UV peak sensitivity (NlUV3-like). A tandem array of NlUV1/2 on the chromosome suggested the presence of a gene duplication event, with similar exons distribution. Moreover, as revealed by spatiotemporal expression, the four opsins were highly expressed in eyes with age-different expression levels. Besides, RNAi targeting each of the four opsins did not significantly affect the survival of N. lugens in phytotron, but the silencing of Nllw resulted in the melanization of body color. Further transcriptome analysis revealed that silencing of Nllw resulted in up-regulation of a tyrosine hydroxylase gene (NlTH) and down-regulation of an arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferases gene (NlaaNAT) in N. lugens, demonstrating that Nllw is involved in body color plastic development via the tyrosine-mediated melanism pathway.ConclusionsThis study provides the first evidence in a Hemipteran insect that an opsin (Nllw) takes part in the regulation of cuticle melanization, confirming a cross-talk between the gene pathways underlying the visual system and the morphological differentiation in insects.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

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