Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya City, China.
Elife. 2024 Nov 8;13:RP97298. doi: 10.7554/eLife.97298.
Seasonal polyphenism enables organisms to adapt to environmental challenges by increasing phenotypic diversity. exhibits remarkable seasonal polyphenism, specifically in the form of summer-form and winter-form, which have distinct morphological phenotypes. Previous research has shown that low temperature and the temperature receptor regulate the transition from summer-form to winter-form in by impacting cuticle content and thickness. However, the underling neuroendocrine regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown. Bursicon, also known as the tanning hormone, is responsible for the hardening and darkening of the insect cuticle. In this study, we report for the first time on the novel function of Bursicon and its receptor in the transition from summer-form to winter-form in . Firstly, we identified and as two typical subunits of Bursicon in , which were regulated by low temperature (10 °C) and . Subsequently, and formed a heterodimer that mediated the transition from summer-form to winter-form by influencing the cuticle chitin contents and cuticle thickness. Furthermore, we demonstrated that acts as the Bursicon receptor and plays a critical role in the up-stream signaling of the chitin biosynthesis pathway, regulating the transition from summer-form to winter-form. Finally, we discovered that miR-6012 directly targets , contributing to the regulation of Bursicon signaling in the seasonal polyphenism of . In summary, these findings reveal the novel function of the neuroendocrine regulatory mechanism underlying seasonal polyphenism and provide critical insights into the insect Bursicon and its receptor.
季节性多态性使生物能够通过增加表型多样性来适应环境挑战。 表现出显著的季节性多态性，特别是夏季型和冬季型，它们具有明显的形态表型。以前的研究表明，低温和温度受体通过影响角质层含量和厚度来调节从夏季型到冬季型的转变。然而，其潜在的神经内分泌调节机制在很大程度上仍然未知。 保幼激素，也称为鞣化激素，负责昆虫角质层的硬化和变暗。在本研究中，我们首次报道了保幼激素及其受体在 从夏季型到冬季型转变中的新功能。首先，我们鉴定了 和 作为 的两个典型亚基，它们受低温（10°C）和 的调节。随后， 和 形成异二聚体，通过影响角质层几丁质含量和角质层厚度来介导从夏季型到冬季型的转变。此外，我们证明 作为保幼激素受体，在几丁质生物合成途径的上游信号转导中发挥关键作用，调节从夏季型到冬季型的转变。最后，我们发现 miR-6012 直接靶向 ，有助于调节季节性多态性中的保幼激素信号。总之，这些发现揭示了季节性多态性的神经内分泌调节机制的新功能，并为昆虫保幼激素及其受体提供了重要的见解。
