Abstract: 【Aim】14-3-3 proteins are a class of regulatory proteins found in eukaryotic organisms, which can be involved in signal transduction, immune response, growth and development, and stress response. The aim of this study is to clone the full-length cDNA sequences of the 14-3-3 genes in Bemisia tabaci MED, and understand the characteristics of the proteins encoded by 14-3-3 genes and the spatiotemporal expression patterns of 14-3-3 genes. 【Methods】 The full-length cDNA sequences of 14-3-3 genes of B. tabaciMED were cloned by RT-PCR, and their biological properties were analyzed by bioinformatics software and online website. RTqPCR was used to determine the expression levels of 14-3-3 genes in different developmental stages (egg, 1st-4th instar nymphs and adult), in adult male and female, and in the head, thorax and abdomen of female adult of B. tabaci MED. 【Results】 Two subtypes of the 14-3-3 gene of B. tabaci MED were cloned and characterized: Bt14-3-3 epsilon(GenBank accession no.: XM_019046102.1) and Bt14-3-3 zeta(GenBank accession no.: XM_019057395.1). The open reading frames (ORFs) of Bt14-3-3 epsilon and Bt14-3-3 zeta were 771 and 744 bp, encoding 256 and 247 amino acids, respectively. The proteins encoded by Bt14-3-3 epsilon and Bt14-3-3 zeta were hydrophilic proteins without transmembrane helical region and signal peptide, and their secondary structure mainly consisted of α-helices. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that Bt14-3-3 epsilon was clustered into one cluster with 14-3-3 epsilon proteins of Nilaparvata lugens, Cimex lectularius and Halyomorpha halys, sharing higher homology, while Bt14-3-3 zeta was more closely related to 14-3-3 zeta of N. lugens. RT-qPCR results showed that Bt14-3-3 epsilon and Bt14-3-3 zeta had higher expression levels in the egg, female adults and abdomen of female adults of B. tabaci MED. 【Conclusion】The full-length sequence, characteristics of the coded proteins and spatiotemporal expression of two subtypes of the 14-3-3 gene of B. tabaci MED have been clarified. The results of this study provide a basis for subsequent studies on the molecular function of 14-3-3 proteins.
Key words: Bemisia tabaci; gene cloning; 14-3-3 protein; bioinformatics; spatiotemporal expression