Sarcotoxin II from the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis (Diptera): A comparison of transcript expression in diapausing and nondiapausing pupae

Abstract

Many stress-induced genes, including those related to the insect humoral immune response, are upregulated during diapause even in the absence of stress. We further test the relationship between stress genes and diapause in Sarcophaga crassipalpis by cloning sarcotoxin II, a member of the attacin family, and examining its expression pattern in relation to pupal diapause. Unlike several other stress-related genes, sarcotoxin II is not developmentally upregulated during diapause, but it remains fully responsive to immune challenge. Interestingly, the elevation of sarcotoxin II mRNA in response to body wall injury, but not immune challenge, is initiated more slowly and persists longer in diapausing pupae than in nondiapausing individuals.

Keywords

• diapause
• sarcotoxin ii
• injury
• stress response
• immune response
• sarcophaga crassipalpis