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Tyrosine hydroxylase is crucial for pupal pigmentation in Zeugodacus tau (Walker) (Diptera: Tephritidae)
- Source :
- Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 231:11-19
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the initial enzyme responsible for cuticle sclerotization and pigmentation in many insect species, but to date, no direct functional studies have focused on TH in Zeugodacus tau. Here, the 3336-bp full-length cDNA of TH was isolated from Z. tau, a notorious horticultural pest infesting fruits and vegetables. qRT-polymerase chain reaction revealed that ZtTH transcripts were highly abundant at the time of pupal tanning and during adult emergence and were expressed in the midgut, integument and head of molting larvae. The pupation and eclosion rates gradually decreased when the 1st-instar larvae were fed diets containing higher concentrations of the TH inhibitor 3-iodo-tyrosine (3-IT). Moreover, pupal weights were significantly decreased, and abnormal uncolored phenotypes were observed after 20 mg/g 3-IT was incorporated into the diet. In addition, the suppression of TH function (mediated by RNA interference) led to a decrease in TH mRNAs and eclosion rates, accompanied by less-pigmented phenotypes. There was a severe impairment of larval-pupal cuticle tanning, leading to pupae with less yellowish pigment or that were completely white and transparent, when we injected 2 μL of 24.4 mM or 73.27 mM 3-IT into 3rd-instar larvae or prepupae. These results suggest that TH is an important enzyme for the normal growth and pupal pigmentation of Z. tau and that TH is a potential gene target for use in the control of Z. tau.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine
animal structures
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
Physiology
Cuticle
media_common.quotation_subject
Insect
01 natural sciences
Biochemistry
03 medical and health sciences
Tephritidae
Animals
Tyrosine
Molecular Biology
media_common
Tyrosine hydroxylase
biology
Pigmentation
fungi
Pupa
Midgut
biology.organism_classification
Molecular biology
010602 entomology
Phenotype
030104 developmental biology
RNA Interference
Integument
Sequence Analysis
Moulting
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10964959
- Volume :
- 231
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....6be849b49a929a12902c06b1397adf75