›› 2012, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (11): 1264-1271.doi:

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Sequence characterization and mRNA expression profiling of a soluble trehalase gene in Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

LIU Xiao-Jian, ZHANG Huan-Huan, LI Da-Qi, CUI Miao, MA En-Bo, ZHANG Jian-Zhen   

  • Received:2012-08-04 Revised:2012-10-14 Online:2012-11-20 Published:2012-11-20
  • Contact: MA En-Bo, ZHANG Jian-Zhen E-mail:maenbo2003@sxu.edu.cn; zjz@sxu.edu.cn
  • About author:xiaojianliu1983@126.com

Abstract: Trehalase is a key enzyme in trehalose metabolism and plays important roles in the development and regulation of energy in insects. In order to further investigate the function of trehalase, we analyzed the molecular characteristics and mRNA expression pattern of a soluble trehalase (TRE, GenBank accession no. FJ795020) gene from Locusta migratoria. No transmembrane region was predicted for TRE of L. migratoria. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TRE of L. migratoria was first clustered with soluble trehalases of Aphis glycines, Acyrthosiphon pisum, Nilaparvata lugens and Laodelphax striatella, and its gene was so designated as LmTre-1. qPCR was used to analyze the mRNA expression pattern of LmTre-1 in different tissues and developmental tages in L. migratoria. The expression of LmTre-1 was low in early and middle stage eggs but greatly increased in late stage eggs. Tissue-specific-expression results showed that LmTre-1 was expressed in all the major tissues, with high expression level in integument and lower expression level in fat body, muscles, trachea, testis and ovaries in the 5th instar nymphs and adults. LmTre-1 was also highly expressed after molting and the expression level gradually declined during the 5th instar nymphal development. LmTre-1 was constantly expressed at a high level in the integument of adults. This expression pattern is very similar with that of chitin synthase 1 gene, and it is so inferred that LmTre-1 is associated with chitin synthesis in the cuticle. The study sheds new light on a better understanding of the functional characteristics of this gene and may pave a way for pesticide screening based on trehalase.

Key words: Locusta migratoria, trehalase, sequence analysis, qPCR, mRNA expression