Wu Wei, Ye Zhuangxin, Mao Qianzhuo, Shan Hong-Wei, Li Jun-Min, Chen Jian-Ping
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 Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
Insects. 2023 Sep 26;14(10):784. doi: 10.3390/insects14100784.
Brochosomes, unique coatings on the integuments of Cicadellidae, are synthesized in specialized glandular sections of Malpighian tubules. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the protein composition of brochosomes. In this study, we conducted transcriptomic and proteomic profiling to characterize the brochosome protein composition in the rice green leafhopper . Brochosomes were collected from the forewings of leafhoppers using ultrasonic treatment, allowing for more effective brochosome collection and shaking treatment, resulting in purer brochosomes. Transcriptome sequencing analysis identified 106 genes specifically expressed in the Malpighian tubules; combined with proteomic data, we identified 22 candidate brochosome proteins. These proteins were classified into 12 brochosomins (BSM) and 10 brochosome-associated proteins (BSAP) based on previous research. Conserved motif analysis and functional predictions unveiled unique motifs in each BSM, while BSAP appeared to play a crucial role in BSM folding and pathogen resistance. Comparative analysis of other Hemiptera species demonstrated that all BSM and some BSAP are specific to the Cicadellidae family. Our findings could contribute to understanding the mechanism of brochosome synthesis, its function, and evolutionary genesis.
微体,即叶蝉科昆虫体表独特的覆盖物,是在马氏管的特殊腺体部分合成的。然而,关于微体的蛋白质组成的知识有限。在本研究中,我们进行了转录组和蛋白质组分析,以表征稻绿叶蝉微体的蛋白质组成。通过超声处理从叶蝉的前翅收集微体,这样能更有效地收集微体并进行振荡处理,从而得到更纯净的微体。转录组测序分析鉴定出106个在马氏管中特异性表达的基因;结合蛋白质组数据,我们鉴定出22种候选微体蛋白。根据先前的研究,这些蛋白质被分为12种微体蛋白(BSM)和10种微体相关蛋白(BSAP)。保守基序分析和功能预测揭示了每种BSM中的独特基序,而BSAP似乎在BSM折叠和病原体抗性中起关键作用。对其他半翅目物种的比较分析表明,所有BSM和一些BSAP是叶蝉科特有的。我们的研究结果有助于理解微体合成的机制、其功能和进化起源。