Yang Yong, Zhu Qinyao, Wang Mingjun, Guo Wenhui, Zhang Xiaohong, Zhang Daochuan
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
Pestic Biochem Physiol. 2025 Nov;214:106551. doi: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106551. Epub 2025 Jul 9.
The 20S proteasome is a core component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, participating in various biological processes such as cell cycle regulation, signal transduction, apoptosis, and protein homeostasis. However, its roles in mammals are well-documented, its function in the insect intestine remains largely unexplored. In this study, we identified 14 20S proteasome subunits, including 7 α-subunits and 7 β-subunits in Locusta migratoria, a worldwide agricultural pest. Phylogenetic tree revealed conservation of amino acid sequences among different species. While the conserved domains and motifs analysis exhibited both conservation and divergence among 20S proteasome subunits. The expression pattern of 20S proteasome subunits found that these subunits were expressed in all growth phases. Notably, a large number of 20S proteasome subunits were found to be expressed in ovary and midgut tissues. We further demonstrated that, except for increased expression of proteasome α7 and β5, other proteasome subunits were significantly reduced under 3 % dextran sulphate sodium condition. Additionally, the expression of 8 of 14 proteasome subunits were down-regulated after malathion treatment. However, the expression of most proteasome β subunits decreased significantly after deltamethrin treatment. RNAi targeting 20S proteasome subunits resulted in complete mortality in fifth-instar nymphs, midgut and gastric cecum atrophy, and significant reductions in body length and weight. Moreover, silencing of 20S proteasome subunits impaired ovarian growth. Furthermore, 20S proteasome subunits are also potential target genes for RNAi-based pest control strategies.
20S蛋白酶体是泛素-蛋白酶体系统的核心组成部分，参与细胞周期调控、信号转导、细胞凋亡和蛋白质稳态等多种生物学过程。然而，其在哺乳动物中的作用已有充分记录，在昆虫肠道中的功能仍 largely unexplored。在本研究中，我们在全球农业害虫飞蝗中鉴定出14个20S蛋白酶体亚基，包括7个α亚基和7个β亚基。系统发育树显示不同物种间氨基酸序列具有保守性。而保守结构域和基序分析表明20S蛋白酶体亚基之间既有保守性又有差异。20S蛋白酶体亚基的表达模式发现这些亚基在所有生长阶段均有表达。值得注意的是，发现大量20S蛋白酶体亚基在卵巢和中肠组织中表达。我们进一步证明，在3%硫酸葡聚糖钠条件下，除蛋白酶体α7和β5表达增加外，其他蛋白酶体亚基均显著减少。此外，14个蛋白酶体亚基中有8个在马拉硫磷处理后表达下调。然而，在溴氰菊酯处理后，大多数蛋白酶体β亚基的表达显著下降。靶向20S蛋白酶体亚基的RNA干扰导致五龄若虫完全死亡、中肠和胃盲囊萎缩，以及体长和体重显著降低。此外，沉默20S蛋白酶体亚基会损害卵巢生长。此外，20S蛋白酶体亚基也是基于RNA干扰的害虫防治策略的潜在靶基因。
