National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
RNA Biol. 2023 Jan;20(1):164-176. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2204579.
In female animals, metabolic homoeostasis and reproductive fitness are critical to population expansion. The trade-off between lipid storage and reproduction inevitably occurs. However, most studies have focused on the complex network of relationships between reproductive and metabolic physiology at the transcriptional level. In this study, we identified a microRNA, miR-2b-2-5p, in a highly invasive quarantine pest, . Knockdown of miR-2b-2-5p by antagomiR microinjection impaired ovarian development, reduced fecundity, and decreased triglyceride (TAG) storage in the fat body, whereas overexpression of miR-2b-2-5p by injection of its mimic caused reproductive defects similar to knockdown but increased TAG. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase assay indicated that cyclic AMP response element (CRE)-binding protein (CREB) was the target gene of miR-2b-2-5p. RNAi-mediated knockdown of led to excessive lipid storage and reproductive defects. Further starvation treatment revealed that miR-2b-2-5p functions by fine-tuning expression in response to dietary stimuli. These results suggest that miR-2b-2-5p acts as a monitor to regulate mRNA levels in the fat body, maintaining lipid homoeostasis and keeping the reproductive system on track. Thus, our study not only provides new insights into the interaction between metabolism and reproduction at the posttranscriptional level in , but also providing a potential eco-friendly control strategy (RNAi-based biopesticides targeting essential miRNAs) for this notorious agricultural pest.
在雌性动物中，代谢稳态和生殖健康对于种群扩张至关重要。脂质储存和生殖之间的权衡不可避免地会发生。然而，大多数研究都集中在转录水平上生殖和代谢生理学之间复杂的关系网络上。在这项研究中，我们在一个高度入侵的检疫害虫中鉴定出了一种 microRNA，miR-2b-2-5p。通过反义寡核苷酸微注射敲低 miR-2b-2-5p 会损害卵巢发育，降低生殖力，并减少脂肪体中的甘油三酯 (TAG) 储存，而通过注射其模拟物过度表达 miR-2b-2-5p 会导致类似于敲低的生殖缺陷，但会增加 TAG。生物信息学分析和双荧光素酶测定表明，环磷酸腺苷反应元件 (CRE)-结合蛋白 (CREB) 是 miR-2b-2-5p 的靶基因。介导的 CREB 敲低导致过度的脂质储存和生殖缺陷。进一步的饥饿处理表明，miR-2b-2-5p 通过微调 表达来响应饮食刺激。这些结果表明，miR-2b-2-5p 作为一种监测物，调节脂肪体中的 mRNA 水平，维持脂质稳态并使生殖系统保持正常。因此，我们的研究不仅为 在后转录水平上代谢与生殖之间的相互作用提供了新的见解，而且还为这种臭名昭著的农业害虫提供了一种潜在的环保控制策略（针对必需 microRNA 的 RNAi 基生物农药）。
