Jing Tianxing, Li Chenyang, Zhang Yanjin, Li Peixuan, Yang Jin, Su Honghua, Zhang Shuai
College of Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticides, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
College of Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticides, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
Comp Biochem Physiol Part D Genomics Proteomics. 2025 Jul 18;56:101583. doi: 10.1016/j.cbd.2025.101583.
The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, belonging to Hemiptera Aphididae is a worldwide pest on various plants. This pest is particularly notorious for its high tolerance to both temperature and insecticides. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), which have been recognized as molecular chaperones, play pivotal roles in the response of insects to environmental stress. However, information on HSP genes in A. gossypii and their expression response remain limited. In this study, 50 HSP genes were identified in the A. gossypii genome, including 3 HSP90s, 15 HSP70s, 11 HSP60s, 19 HSP40s and 2 sHSPs. Phylogenetic analysis strongly supported the family classification of A. gossypii HSP genes. All of the AgHSPs were distributed across four chromosomes, and several gene duplication events were observed. Transcriptome data revealed that most AgHSPs could be induced by short-term high temperature treatment. Conversely, most HSPs decreased their transcription levels under long-term high temperature exposure. Notably, three HSPs (AgHSP40-9-X2, AgHSP40-15 and AgHSP70-8) were consistently up-regulated after insecticide exposure in both susceptible and resistant populations. Moreover, the expressions of HSPs across several morphs of aphids were systematically evaluated for the first time. Our findings provide fundamental data for future studies and enhance our understanding of the roles of HSPs in environmental stress adaptation in A. gossypii.
棉蚜（Aphis gossypii）属于半翅目蚜科，是一种危害多种植物的世界性害虫。这种害虫因其对温度和杀虫剂的高耐受性而特别臭名昭著。热休克蛋白（HSPs）已被公认为分子伴侣，在昆虫对环境胁迫的反应中起关键作用。然而，关于棉蚜HSP基因及其表达反应的信息仍然有限。在本研究中，在棉蚜基因组中鉴定出50个HSP基因，包括3个HSP90、15个HSP70、11个HSP60、19个HSP40和2个小热休克蛋白（sHSPs）。系统发育分析有力地支持了棉蚜HSP基因的家族分类。所有棉蚜HSP基因分布在四条染色体上，并观察到一些基因复制事件。转录组数据显示，大多数棉蚜HSP基因可被短期高温处理诱导。相反，在长期高温暴露下，大多数HSP基因的转录水平下降。值得注意的是，在敏感和抗性种群中，三种HSP基因（AgHSP40-9-X2、AgHSP40-15和AgHSP70-8）在接触杀虫剂后持续上调。此外，首次系统评估了棉蚜几种形态中HSP基因的表达。我们的研究结果为未来的研究提供了基础数据，并增进了我们对HSP基因在棉蚜环境胁迫适应中作用的理解。
