Economic Entomology Research Unit, Plant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan.
Insect Mol Biol. 2020 Aug;29(4):417-430. doi: 10.1111/imb.12646. Epub 2020 May 13.
The almond moth is an important pest of date fruits worldwide. The females produce several eggs; however, role of vitellogenin receptor (VgR) in oocyte development by mediating endocytosis of major yolk protein precursor Vg remains yet unexplored. To investigate the role of vitellogenin receptor (VgR) in reproduction, Cadra cautella vitellogenin receptor (CcVgR) transcript was obtained using rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction. Expression analysis of CcVgR was performed using reverse transcriptase and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in different developmental stages. RNA interference was performed by injecting CcVgR-based double-stranded (ds)RNA at different exposure times. The results revealed that CcVgR is 5421 bp long, encoded 1807 amino acid, belongs to low-density lipoprotein receptor superfamily and contains all conserved domains. Expression analysis confirmed that CcVgR is sex-specific and starts to express in female larvae on day 19. Additionally, RNA interference (RNAi) of CcVgR-based dsRNA inhibited CcVgR expression up to 83% after 72 h, reduced fecundity and hatchability, and confirmed involvement of CcVgR in C. cautella reproduction. This report provides a basis for gene silencing in this species, and proposes RNAi technology potential for pest management.
杏仁蠹蛾是世界范围内重要的枣果害虫。雌虫可产多个卵；然而，卵黄蛋白原受体（VgR）在通过介导内吞作用将主要卵黄蛋白前体 Vg 运输到卵母细胞中的作用仍未被探索。为了研究卵黄蛋白原受体（VgR）在生殖中的作用，使用快速扩增 cDNA 末端-聚合酶链反应（RACE-PCR）获得了 Cadra cautella 卵黄蛋白原受体（CcVgR）转录本。使用反转录酶和定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）在不同发育阶段对 CcVgR 进行表达分析。通过在不同暴露时间注射基于 CcVgR 的双链（ds）RNA 进行 RNA 干扰。结果表明，CcVgR 长 5421bp，编码 1807 个氨基酸，属于低密度脂蛋白受体超家族，包含所有保守结构域。表达分析证实 CcVgR 是性别特异性的，在 19 日龄雌性幼虫中开始表达。此外，CcVgR 基于 dsRNA 的 RNAi 在 72 小时后将 CcVgR 表达抑制了 83%，降低了产卵量和孵化率，并证实了 CcVgR 在 C. cautella 生殖中的作用。本报告为该物种的基因沉默提供了依据，并提出了 RNAi 技术在害虫管理中的应用潜力。
