The Regulation of LmFKBP35 on Toll Pathway of Locusts migratoria and Its Effect on the Infection of Metarhizium anisopliae

doi:10.16409/j.cnki.2095-039x.2026.01.001

Abstract

Abstract: FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are a kind of immunophilins that bind the immunosuppressant FK506 and inhibit immune responses. LmFKBP35, a member of the FKBPs family in the Locusta migratoria, was previously demonstrated to enhance the pathogenicity of Metarhizium anisopliae when they were mixed together. The function of the LmFKBP35 gene was clarified by cloning the gene and determining the expression of the gene in L. migratoria before and after infection with M. anisopliae by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Furthermore, employing RNA interference (RNAi), we investigated the influence of LmFKBP35 knockdown on the expression of immune-related genes in the Toll pathway and on M. anisopliae pathogenicity. The results showed that LmFKBP35 gene has a 987-bp coding sequence encoding a 328-amino acid protein containing conserved FKBP-C and TPR domains, confirming its membership in the FKBP-C superfamily. LmFKBP35 expression increased significantly by 89% after M. anisopliae infection. Twenty-four hours after RNAi knockdown, LmFKBP35 expression was significantly reduced by 92% compared to controls, while expression of spätzle, cactus, and defensin significantly increased by 72%, 47%, and 82%, respectively. When L. migratoria received simultaneous LmFKBP35 knockdown and M. anisopliae infection (via oral delivery), they exhibited a significantly higher survival rate (45%) compared to the control group (23%), representing a 22% increase. Based on the above results, it is inferred that the LmFKBP35 gene can suppresses the immune responses in L. migratoria.

Key words: Locusta migratoria, LmFKBP35, Metarhizium anisopliae, immune mechanism

CLC Number:

S476

HANG Lei, YANG Wenjing, ZHANG Jinghan, WANG Xiaoling, LI Jianmei, NAMU Riga, YAN Chong, LIU Wenqiang, YIN Yiting, TU Xiongbing, WANG Guangjun, CHANG Jing. The Regulation of LmFKBP35 on Toll Pathway of Locusts migratoria and Its Effect on the Infection of Metarhizium anisopliae[J]. Chinese Journal of Biological Control, 2026, 42(5): 1087-1095.

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