title: Integrin β subunit and its RNA interference in immune and developmental processes of the Oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta.
abstract: Integrins are cell surface heterodimeric proteins interacting with the extracellular matrix and mediating environmental signals through cell membranes. A full-length cDNA sequence of the integrin β1 subunit gene (HaITGb1) was cloned from the Oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta, and analyzed for its physiological role in both immune response and development. HaITGb1 was expressed in all developmental stages from egg to adult and in all tested larval tissues of hemocytes, fat body, gut, and epidermis. Utilizing an RNA interference (RNAi) approach, injection of a specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in larvae suppressed HaITGb1 transcript levels and significantly impaired hemocytes in their extracellular matrix adherence properties. Furthermore, the RNAi treatment significantly suppressed hemocyte nodule formation in response to bacterial challenge, which resulted in significantly enhanced susceptibility to both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. The RNAi treatment also interfered with H. assulta larval and pupal development. These results suggest that the extensive and constitutive expression of HaITGb1 is necessary for H. assulta to perform an efficient immune response against microbial pathogens and undergo normal immature development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University, Andong 760-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youngjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany.
authors.forename: Seung-Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University, Andong 760-749, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hosanna@andong.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yonggyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D039641:Integrin beta Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D009036:Moths / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D034622:RNA Interference; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D039641:Integrin beta Chains
keywords: Development; Helicoverpa assulta; Immune; Integrin; RNA interference