Silencing Miniature Gene Disrupts Elytral and Hindwing Structures in Leptinotarsa decemlineata

文献类型： 外文期刊

第一作者： Cheng, Man-Hong

作者： Cheng, Man-Hong;Fu, Kai-Yun;Guo, Wen-Chao;Zhou, Wei;Shi, Ji-Feng

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关键词： miniature; elytra; hindwing veins; Leptinotarsa decemlineata

期刊名称：INSECTS （ 影响因子：2.9； 五年影响因子：3.3 ）

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年卷期： 2025 年 16 卷 7 期

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收录情况： SCI

摘要： The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, CPB) is a major pest in potato crops, notorious for its rapid dispersal and insecticide resistance, which are enabled by its robust elytra and flight-capable hindwings. The Miniature (Mi) gene, encoding a protein with a zona pellucida (ZP) domain, is involved in wing development and cuticle integrity, yet its functional role in beetles remains underexplored. In this study, we cloned and characterized the LdMi gene in the CPB and investigated its function using RNA interference (RNAi), morphological analyses, and spectroscopy. LdMi encodes a 146.35 kDa transmembrane protein with a conserved ZP domain, clusters with coleopteran homologs, and exhibits relative conservation across insect species. Expression profiling showed high LdMi transcript levels in the hindwings, the elytra, and the pupal stages. RNAi knockdown in fourth-instar larvae resulted in severe eclosion defects, including malformed wings and reduced adult weight. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed disrupted elytral patterns and deformed hindwing veins in knockdown individuals. Spectroscopic analyses using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy indicated a reduction in protein-chitin crosslinking and diminished hydrogen bonding, suggesting compromised cuticular integrity. These results highlight the essential role of LdMi in cuticle formation and the surface morphology of the elytra and hindwings, offering new insights into ZP domain proteins in insects.

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