Affiliation:
1. College of Biological Sciences and Technology Taiyuan Normal University Jinzhong Shanxi China
2. Shanxi Key Laboratory of Nucleic Acid Biopesticides, Institute of Applied Biology Shanxi University Taiyuan Shanxi China
3. Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology South China Normal University Meizhou Guangdong China
Abstract
AbstractThe foregut, located at the front of the digestive tract, serves a vital role in insects by storing and grinding food into small particles. The innermost layer of the foregut known as the chitinous intima, comes into direct contact with the food and acts as a protective barrier against abrasive particles. Knickkopf (Knk) is required for chitin organization in the chitinous exoskeleton, tracheae and wings. Despite its significance, little is known about the biological function of Knk in the foregut. In this study, we found that LmKnk was stably expressed in the foregut, and highly expressed before molting in Locusta migratoria. To ascertain the biological function of LmKnk in the foregut, we synthesized specific double‐stranded LmKnk (dsLmKnk) and injected it into locusts. Our findings showed a significant decrease in the foregut size, along with reduced food intake and accumulation of residues in the foregut after dsLmKnk injection. Morphological observations revealed that newly formed intima became thinner and lacked chitin lamella. Furthermore, fluorescence immunohistochemistry revealed that LmKnk was located in the apical region of new intima and epithelial cells. Taken together, this study provides insights into the biological function of LmKnk in the foregut, and identifies the potential target gene for exploring biological pest management strategies.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China - State Grid Corporation Joint Fund for Smart Grid
Cited by
1 articles.
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