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Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens
Published on: February 3, 2020
SRP gene is required for Helicoverpa armigera prophenoloxidase activation and nodulation response
Chuan Qiao1, Jie Li1, Xiu-Hong Wei1
1Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, College of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
Abstract:
SRP gene was first identified from the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea as one of genes up-regulated after bacteria injection. A rent study in Spodoptera litura showed that stress-induced elevation of SRP expression highly correlates with reduced feeding activities and growth retardation of larvae. In this study, we identified a SRP gene from the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, namely Ha-SRP, and studied its precise roles in insect immunity. Expressions of Ha-SRP were upregulated in H. armigera larval hemocytes after injection of Escherichia coli. When the expression of Ha-SRP in H. armigera larval hemocytes was inhibited by dsHa-SRP injection, the transcription of prophenoloxidase genes in hemocytes was repressed, phenoloxidase activity in bacteria-challenged larval hemolymph was significantly decreased, and nodule formation in bacteria-injected larvae was reduced. More importantly, RNAi-treated insects infected with E. coli showed higher bacterial growth in hemolymph compared with infected controls. These results suggest that Ha-SRP gene plays importance roles in H. armigera innate immunity, possibly by mediating prophenoloxidase activation and nodulation response.
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