title: Molecular characterization of the flightin gene in the wing-dimorphic planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, and its evolution in Pancrustacea.
abstract: Flightin was initially identified in Drosophila melanogaster. Previous work has shown that Drosophila flightin plays a key role in indirect flight muscle (IFM) function and has limited expression in the IFM. In this study, we demonstrated that flightin is conserved across the Pancrustacea species, including winged insects, non-winged insects, non-insect hexapods and several crustaceans. The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a long-distance migration insect with wing dimorphism, is the most destructive rice pest in Asia. We showed that flightin was one of the most differentially expressed genes in macropterous and brachypterous BPH adults. In female BPHs, flightin was expressed in the IFM of macropterous adults, no expression was detected in brachypterous ones; while in male BPHs, flightin was not only expressed in the IFM of macropterous adults, but also in the dorsal longitudinal muscle (DLM) in the basal two abdominal segments of both macropterous and brachypterous ones. RNAi and transmission electron microscopy results showed that flightin played key roles in maintaining IFM and male DLM structure, which drive wing movements in macropterous adults and the vibration of the male-specific tymbal, respectively. Using Daphnia magna as an example of a crustacean species, we observed that flightin was expressed in juvenile instars and adults, and was localized in the antenna muscles. These results illustrate the functional variations of flightin in insects and other arthropod species and provide clues as to how insects with flight apparatuses evolved from ancient pancrustaceans.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Xue
authors: Xiao-Qin
authors: XQ
authors: Zhang
authors: Hai-Jun
authors: HJ
authors: Xu
authors: Hai-Wei
authors: HW
authors: Fan
authors: Hai-Jian
authors: HJ
authors: Huang
authors: Xiao-Fang
authors: XF
authors: Ma
authors: Chun-Yan
authors: CY
authors: Wang
authors: Jian-Guo
authors: JG
authors: Chen
authors: Jia-An
authors: JA
authors: Cheng
authors: Chuan-Xi
authors: CX
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003621:Daphnia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D064448:Filamins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009758:Nymph / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000032:analysis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D064448:Filamins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; C081072:fln protein, Drosophila