Yang Yong, Wang Mingjun, Guo Wenhui, Zhu Qingyao, Zhang Daochuan, Zhang Xiaohong
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
Pest Manag Sci. 2025 Aug 25. doi: 10.1002/ps.70157.
Tissue homeostasis is essential for both morphogenesis and maintaining function. In insects, intestinal homeostasis is critical for growth and development. The midgut is key in food digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune response. Locusta migratoria is among the most damaging agricultural pests worldwide. Identifying a suitable target gene is important for RNA interference (RNAi)-based pest control.
In this study, RNAi-mediated knockdown of the 20S proteasome β subunit 3 of L. migratoria (LmProsβ3) caused atrophy of the midgut and gastric caecum in fourth- and fifth-instar nymphs as well as adult locusts. This deficiency also led to a decrease in body length and weight, eventually resulting in mortality. Histological analysis using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that LmProsβ3 knockdown damaged columnar epithelial cells and regenerative cells, with the nucleus disappearing due to cell cycle inhibition. Additionally, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) in the dsLmProsβ3 group were higher than those in the double-stranded green fluorescent protein (dsGFP) group. Moreover, the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) in the double-stranded LmProsβ3 (dsLmProsβ3) group were reduced.
LmProsβ3 is essential for midgut homeostasis and survival, influencing the growth and development of locusts. These findings help clarify the functions of LmProsβ3 in maintaining midgut health. LmProsβ3 could be a potential target gene for RNAi-based locust control. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
组织稳态对于形态发生和功能维持至关重要。在昆虫中，肠道稳态对生长和发育至关重要。中肠在食物消化、营养吸收和免疫反应中起关键作用。飞蝗是全球最具破坏力的农业害虫之一。鉴定合适的靶基因对于基于RNA干扰（RNAi）的害虫防治很重要。
在本研究中，RNAi介导的飞蝗20S蛋白酶体β亚基3（LmProsβ3）敲低导致四龄和五龄若虫以及成年飞蝗的中肠和胃盲囊萎缩。这种缺陷还导致体长和体重下降，最终导致死亡。使用苏木精和伊红（H&E）染色及透射电子显微镜（TEM）进行的组织学分析表明，LmProsβ3敲低会损害柱状上皮细胞和再生细胞，细胞核因细胞周期抑制而消失。此外，dsLmProsβ3组中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）的活性高于双链绿色荧光蛋白（dsGFP）组。而且，双链LmProsβ3（dsLmProsβ3）组中碱性磷酸酶（AKP）和酸性磷酸酶（ACP）的活性降低。
LmProsβ3对中肠稳态和生存至关重要，影响飞蝗的生长和发育。这些发现有助于阐明LmProsβ3在维持中肠健康中的功能。LmProsβ3可能是基于RNAi的飞蝗防治的潜在靶基因。© 2025化学工业协会。
