Expression and Function Analysis of Autophagy-related Gene NlATG4 in Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)

doi:10.16409/j.cnki.2095-039x.2022.01.011

Abstract

Abstract: ATG4, a cysteine protease, is responsible for the cleavage of the carboxyl terminal of ATG8 protein and plays an important role in the formation of autophagosomes. In this study, the full-length cDNA of ATG4 gene in the Nilaparvata lugens (NlATG4) was cloned (GenBank Accession No. MF062502.1). RT-qPCR analysis showed that the NlATG4 gene was expressed in both nymphs and adults and the expression level in the 1^st to 2^nd instar nymphs was the highest and slightly lower at other developmental stages. RNAi results showed that, at 4 d post treatment of dsRNA injection, the expression level of the target gene NlATG4 decreased significantly (about 22% of that of the dsGFP control) and the ATP content also significantly decreased to only 1.0 μmol/(L·mg protein^-1), about 25% of that of the dsGFP control. At 6 d post dsRNA treatment, the survival rate of the dsNlATG4-treated N. lugens decreased significantly in contrast to that of the dsGFP control, the fat body became looser, and the number of large lipid droplets (diameter ≥5.0 μm) increased, and the boundary of the bubble structure enclosing the yeast-like symbiont almost disappeared in dsNlATG4 treatment group. At 8 d post dsRNA treatment, the survival rate of dsNlATG4-treated N. lugens was 36.7%, 53.3% lower than that for the dsGFP control. This study shows that RNA interference targeting NlATG4 gene breaks the structural integrity of fat body and the microenvironment of yeast-like symbiont, affecting lipid metabolism and ATP content, and reduces the survival of N. lugens. Therefore, NlATG4 gene plays an important role in the normal growth and development of N. lugens and has some potential in the control of N. lugens.

Key words: Nilaparvata lugens, NlATG4, RNAi, fat body

CLC Number:

JIAO Qiqi, WU Jiangen, FENG Yalin, YU Feifei, CHEN Tongtong, ZHENG Yuanyuan, HAO Peiying, YU Xiaoping. Expression and Function Analysis of Autophagy-related Gene NlATG4 in Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)[J]. Chinese Journal of Biological Control, 2023, 39(1): 111-121.

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