Sun Hao, Bu Ling-Ao, Zhang Xin-Yue, Zhang Zhi-Ruo, Su Shao-Cong, Guo Di, Gao Cong-Fen, Palli Subba Reddy, Champer Jackson, Wu Shun-Fan
State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2025 May 2;82(1):191. doi: 10.1007/s00018-025-05722-9.
Spermatogenesis is the basis of sexual reproduction and is essential for the propagation of insect populations. Understanding the process of spermatogenesis and identifying key genes involved in sperm function can aid in developing pest genetic control methods. The testis-specific gene β2-tubulin (B2t) is crucial for spermatogenesis in insects possessing monomorphic spermatids. However, the role of B2t in lepidopteran dimorphic spermatogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we explored the effect of B2t in the development of eupyrene and apyrene sperm in the Spodoptera frugiperda, a major global pest. Knockout of B2t resulted in male sterility. B2t mutations lead to abnormal development of eupyrene sperm and the inability of eupyrene sperm to transfer from the testis to the double ejaculatory ducts. However, disruption of B2t did not affect apyrene spermatogenesis and migration. Interestingly, we found that first mating with B2t-null males inhibited sperm fertilization from a second wild-type male. Cage studies and mathematical modeling analyses suggested that releasing excessive B2t-null males suppressed female fertility. Our study provides insights into dimorphic spermatogenesis in lepidopteran pests and an efficient molecular target for pest genetic control techniques.
精子发生是有性生殖的基础，对昆虫种群的繁衍至关重要。了解精子发生过程并确定参与精子功能的关键基因有助于开发害虫遗传控制方法。睾丸特异性基因β2-微管蛋白（B2t）对于具有单态性精子细胞的昆虫的精子发生至关重要。然而，B2t在鳞翅目双态精子发生中的作用仍不清楚。在本研究中，我们探讨了B2t在全球主要害虫草地贪夜蛾中真核精子和无核精子发育中的作用。敲除B2t导致雄性不育。B2t突变导致真核精子发育异常，且真核精子无法从睾丸转移到双射精管。然而，破坏B2t并不影响无核精子的发生和迁移。有趣的是，我们发现与B2t缺失的雄性首次交配会抑制来自第二个野生型雄性的精子受精。笼养研究和数学建模分析表明，释放过多B2t缺失的雄性会抑制雌性生育力。我们的研究为鳞翅目害虫的双态精子发生提供了见解，并为害虫遗传控制技术提供了一个有效的分子靶点。
