Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China.
Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China.
Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2021 Dec;139:103668. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103668. Epub 2021 Oct 6.
Lipids are a critical source of stored energy in insects, and their metabolism is essential for growth, development, and reproduction. Adequate provisioning of lipids and yolk proteins in the oocytes is essential to ensure reproductive output. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the molecular mechanisms linking lipid metabolism and reproduction. Lipin proteins are emerging as pivotal modulators of lipid metabolism. They exert a dual function as phosphatidate phosphatase enzymes involved in lipid synthesis and as transcriptional coactivators of genes related to lipid metabolism. However, the functional relationship between lipid metabolism and reproduction remains unclear. In this study, the role of lipin protein in the reproduction of female cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi was examined. It was found that Lipin was broadly expressed in the tissues of adult females, with relatively high transcript levels in the head, midgut, fat body, malpighian tubules, and epidermis. RNA interference experiments were conducted using double-stranded RNA against Lipin in C. bowringi females. Lipin silencing blocked ovarian development and strongly suppressed transcription of vitellogenin and vitellogenin receptor genes. In addition, the reduction in Lipin expression led to a rapid increase in lipid storage in the fat body and also promoted the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis and stress tolerance. Overall, these results suggest that a Lipin-mediated lipolytic system is essential for maintaining lipid homeostasis during reproduction in C. bowringi. The findings of this study provide a foundation for future studies on the relationship between lipid metabolism and reproduction in invertebrates.
脂质是昆虫储存能量的重要来源，其代谢对于生长、发育和繁殖至关重要。卵母细胞中脂质和卵黄蛋白的充足供应对于保证生殖产出至关重要。因此，了解脂质代谢与生殖之间的分子机制尤为重要。脂连蛋白作为脂质代谢的关键调节因子正在崭露头角。它们具有双重功能，一方面作为参与脂质合成的磷酸二羟丙酮磷酸酶，另一方面作为与脂质代谢相关基因的转录共激活因子。然而，脂质代谢与生殖之间的功能关系仍不清楚。在本研究中，研究了脂连蛋白在小菜蛾 Colaphellus bowringi 雌性生殖中的作用。结果发现，Lipin 在成年雌性的组织中广泛表达，在头部、中肠、脂肪体、马氏管和表皮中具有相对较高的转录水平。通过小菜蛾雌性的双链 RNA 干扰实验对 Lipin 进行了干扰。Lipin 沉默阻断了卵巢发育，并强烈抑制了卵黄蛋白和卵黄蛋白受体基因的转录。此外，Lipin 表达的减少导致脂肪体中脂质储存的迅速增加，并促进了与脂质合成和应激耐受相关的基因的表达。总的来说，这些结果表明，Lipin 介导的脂肪分解系统对于小菜蛾生殖过程中维持脂质稳态至关重要。本研究的结果为研究无脊椎动物脂质代谢与生殖之间的关系提供了基础。
