Meyering-Vos Martina, Müller Adrienne
Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
J Insect Physiol. 2007 Aug;53(8):840-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.04.003. Epub 2007 Apr 24.
In the Mediterranean field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, the action of sulfakinin (SK) gene expression on food intake, food transport in the gut and carbohydrate digestion (alpha-amylase activity) was investigated by using the RNA interference (RNAi) method. Injection of SK double-stranded (ds) RNA into the abdomen of female adults and last instar larvae led to a systemic silencing of the SK gene, as was shown by RT-PCR studies. In adults, suppression of SK gene expression was effective from the first day after injection up to at least the third day. Treatment of the adult crickets by injection or feeding of dsRNA led to a stimulation of the food intake. Assuming that the gene silencing is followed by a depletion of the SK in tissues and/or haemolymph implies an inhibitiory role of the native SK peptides on food intake. The alpha-amylase activity in vitro in the midgut tissue and in the secretions of adult females was not affected by silencing the SK gene.
在地中海田野蟋蟀（Gryllus bimaculatus）中，通过RNA干扰（RNAi）方法研究了速激肽（SK）基因表达对食物摄取、肠道内食物转运以及碳水化合物消化（α-淀粉酶活性）的作用。将SK双链（ds）RNA注射到成年雌性和末龄幼虫的腹部，RT-PCR研究表明，这导致了SK基因的系统性沉默。在成虫中，从注射后的第一天到至少第三天，SK基因表达的抑制都是有效的。通过注射或喂食dsRNA对成年蟋蟀进行处理，会刺激其食物摄取。假设基因沉默后组织和/或血淋巴中的SK会耗尽，这意味着天然SK肽对食物摄取具有抑制作用。中肠组织和成年雌性分泌物中的体外α-淀粉酶活性不受SK基因沉默的影响。
