LKR/SDH plays important roles throughout the tick life cycle including a long starvation period.
BACKGROUND
Lysine-ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase (LKR/SDH) is a bifunctional enzyme catalyzing the first two steps of lysine catabolism in plants and mammals. However, to date, the properties of the lysine degradation pathway and biological functions of LKR/SDH have been very little described in arthropods such as ticks.


RESULTS
We isolated and characterized the gene encoding lysine-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR, EC 1.5.1.8) and saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH, EC 1.5.1.9) from a tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, cDNA library that encodes a bifunctional polypeptide bearing domains similar to the plant and mammalian LKR/SDH enzymes. Expression of LKR/SDH was detected in all developmental stages, indicating an important role throughout the tick life cycle, including a long period of starvation after detachment from the host. The LKR/SDH mRNA transcripts were more abundant in unfed and starved ticks than in fed and engorged ticks, suggesting that tick LKR/SDH are important for the starved tick. Gene silencing of LKR/SDH by RNAi indicated that the tick LKR/SDH plays an integral role in the osmotic regulation of water balance and development of eggs in ovary of engorged females.


CONCLUSIONS
Transcription analysis and gene silencing of LKR/SDH indicated that tick LKR/SDH enzyme plays not only important roles in egg production, reproduction and development of the tick, but also in carbon, nitrogen and water balance, crucial physiological processes for the survival of ticks. This is the first report on the role of LKR/SDH in osmotic regulation in animals including vertebrate and arthropods.
Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Frontier Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, Japan.
Banzragch
B
Battur
Damdinsuren
D
Boldbaatar
Rika
R
Umemiya-Shirafuji
Min
M
Liao
Badgar
B
Battsetseg
DeMar
D
Taylor
Badarch
B
Baymbaa
Kozo
K
Fujisaki
D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002384:Catalysis; D005508:Food Deprivation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015723:Gene Library; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D009995:Osmosis; D012443:Saccharopine Dehydrogenases / Q000502:physiology*; D013987:Ticks; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002244:Carbon; D012443:Saccharopine Dehydrogenases; D008239:Lysine; D009584:Nitrogen