title: The multicopper oxidase gene family in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.
abstract: The multicopper oxidase (MCO) family of enzymes includes laccases, ascorbate oxidases, bilirubin oxidases and a subgroup of metal oxidases. On the basis of a bioinformatics investigation, we identified 7 genes encoding putative multicopper oxidase proteins in the genome of the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). MCO1 and MCO2 are conserved, while others diverse in insects. Analysis of developmental and tissue-specific expression patterns revealed the following: NlMCO2 was mainly expressed in the integument, and its expression peaked periodically during molting; NlMCO3 was an ovary-specific MCO gene with a high expression level only at the adult stage; NlMCO4 was a salivary gland-specific MCO gene that was expressed at all developmental stages; NlMCO5 only had short-term expression in the middle of the fourth instar stage and was expressed mainly in the gut; NlMCO6 had a developmental expression pattern similar to that of NlMCO2 and was expressed in most N. lugens tissues; and NlMCO1 was expressed in most N. lugens tissues except for the testis, whereas NlMCO7 was mainly expressed in the gut and the Malpighian tube. BPHs injected with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting NlMCO2 failed to pigment and sclerotize, were colorless and soft-bodied and subsequently died in a short time. Lethal phenotypes were also observed in insects challenged by dsRNA targeting NlMCO6. However, no observable morphological or internal structural abnormality was obtained in the insects treated with dsRNA for NlMCO1, NlMCO3, NlMCO4, NlMCO5 or NlMCO7.
authors.affiliation: 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.forename: Yu-Xuan
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: 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.forename: Peng-Lu
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: 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.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: 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.forename: Jia-Bao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. Electronic address: chxzhang@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chuan-Xi
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018978:Molting / Q000235:genetics; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics*; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded
chemical_list: D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D010088:Oxidoreductases
keywords: Brown planthopper; Evolution; Function; Laccase; Multicopper oxidase; Nilaparvata lugens; gene family