Transcriptomic response of cowpea bruchids to N-acetylglucosamine-specific lectins.
Griffonia simplicifolia lectin II (GSII) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) are N-acetylglucosamine-binding lectins. Previous studies demonstrated that they have anti-insect activity, a property potentially useful in pest control. To gain some insight into the insect response to dietary lectins, we performed transcriptomic analysis using the cowpea bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus) midgut microarray platform we built. Compared to the nonnutritional cellulose treatment, dietary lectins induced more profound changes in gene expression. Ingestion of relatively high doses of lectins for 24 h resulted in alteration of gene expression involved in sugar and lipid metabolism, transport, development, defense, and stress tolerance. Metabolic genes were largely downregulated. Moreover, we observed disorganized microvilli resulting from ingestion of WGA. This morphological change is consistent with the lectin-induced changes in genes related to midgut epithelial cell repair. In addition, suboptimal nutrient conditions may serve as a stress signal to trigger senescence processes, leading to growth arrest and developmental delay.
Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Li-Hua
LH
Wang
Yong Hun
YH
Chi
Feng-Guang
FG
Guo
Hongmei
H
Li-Byarlay
Susan
S
Balfe
Ji-Chao
JC
Fang
Barry R
BR
Pittendrigh
Keyan
K
Zhu-Salzman
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015870:Gene Expression; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008871:Microvilli / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D034781:Receptors, N-Acetylglucosamine / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D018076:DNA, Complementary; C045475:Griffonia simplicifolia lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D034781:Receptors, N-Acetylglucosamine
carbohydrate-binding; lectin; midgut epithelium; senescence; transcriptomic response