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Published on: July 16, 2021
G4-mediated transcriptional regulation of T-box20b involved in development in Spodoptera frugiperda
Man Wang1, Dongying Liu1, Jiahao Xiang1
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
Abstract:
The transcription factor T-box20, a member of the conserved T-box gene family, plays crucial roles in the growth and development of various organisms. In this study, we identified a T-box family member, T-box20-like (Tbx20b) in Spodoptera frugiperda. Evolutionary analysis revealed that Tbx20b is a duplicated paralog generated via gene duplication events and identified a unique G-quadruplex (G4) structure in the upstream promoter region. Biochemical and cellular assays confirmed that G4 formation in the Tbx20b promoter regulates its transcriptional expression. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of either the Tbx20b gene or its promoter G4 motif resulted in significant downregulation of Tbx20b expression, accompanied by impaired growth, defective metamorphosis, and reduced reproductive capacity in S. frugiperda. Comparative transcriptomics suggests that the Tbx20b may function in fatty acid metabolism. Collectively, these findings uncover a G4-dependent transcriptional regulatory mechanism governing Tbx20b expression and provide novel insights into the functional roles of promoter G4 structures in regulating key developmental processes in lepidopteran insects.
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