Effects of Inhibiting the Expression of Chitin Synthase Gene <i>SfCHSB</i> on the Metabolism of Trehalose and Chitin in <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> Larvae
Xiangyu Liu,
Shasha Wang,
Yuanyi Yu,
Yisha Cheng,
Chaoxing Hu,
Min Zhou,
Can Li,
Bin Tang,
Yan Wu
Affiliations
Xiangyu Liu
Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, Department of Biology and Engineering of Environment, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China
Shasha Wang
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Yuanyi Yu
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Yisha Cheng
Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, Department of Biology and Engineering of Environment, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China
Chaoxing Hu
Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Min Zhou
Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, Department of Biology and Engineering of Environment, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China
Can Li
Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, Department of Biology and Engineering of Environment, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China
Bin Tang
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Yan Wu
Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, Department of Biology and Engineering of Environment, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China
Spodoptera frugiperda is one of the world’s major agricultural pests and it occurs in many countries around the world. In Lepidoptera, the peritrophic membrane in the midgut protects the midgut epithelial cells and facilitates the digestion and absorption of food. Its main components are chitin and protein. Chitin synthase (CHS), as the last enzyme in the chitin biosynthesis pathway, is very important. Here, the expression of chitin synthase B (CHSB) gene identified from midgut was inhibited by RNA interference to explore its function in the metabolism of trehalose and chitin of S. frugiperda larvae. The results were as follows: SfCHSB was highly expressed in actively feeding larvae. Second, knockdown of SfCHSB resulted in decreased expression of most genes involved in chitin metabolism, including chitinase, and abnormal phenotypes of S. frugiperda were observed. In addition, membrane-bound trehalase activity and glucose content increased, and trehalose content decreased at 24 h after dsSfCHSB injection. Trehalase activities increased significantly and the glycogen content decreased at 48 h after dsSfCHSB injection. Finally, the activity of chitinase decreased and the content of chitin increased significantly. Our results indicate that SfCHSB expression is specific, SfCHSB has a large role in regulating chitin metabolism, and it has broad application prospects in the biocontrol of S. frugiperda.
