title: Downregulation of dTps1 in Drosophila melanogaster larvae confirms involvement of trehalose in redox regulation following desiccation.
abstract: As a survival strategy to environmental water deficits, desiccation-tolerant organisms are commonly known for their ability to recruit stress-protective biomolecules such as trehalose. We have previously reported the pivotal role of trehalose in larval desiccation tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster. Trehalose has emerged as a versatile molecule, serving mainly as energy source in insects and also being a stress protectant. While several recent reports have revealed the unconventional role of trehalose in scavenging reactive oxygen species in yeast and plants, this aspect has not received much attention in animals. We examined the status of desiccation-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in D. melanogaster larvae and the possible involvement of trehalose in ameliorating the harmful consequences thereof. Insect trehalose synthesis is governed by the enzyme trehalose 6-phosphate synthase 1 (TPS1). Using the ubiquitous da-GAL4-driven expression of the dTps1-RNAi transgene, we generated dTps1-downregulated Drosophila larvae possessing depleted levels of dTps1 transcripts. This resulted in the inability of the larvae for trehalose synthesis, thereby allowing us to elucidate the significance of trehalose in the regulation of desiccation-responsive redox homeostasis. Furthermore, the results from molecular genetics studies, biochemical assays, electron spin resonance analyses and a simple, non-invasive method of whole larval live imaging suggested that trehalose in collaboration with superoxide dismutase (SOD) is involved in the maintenance of redox state in D. melanogaster.
authors.affiliation: UGC-Centre for Advanced Studies, Stress Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thorat
authors.affiliation: AU-KBC Research Centre, MIT Campus of Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600044, India.
authors.forename: Krishna-Priya
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.affiliation: AU-KBC Research Centre, MIT Campus of Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600044, India.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thangaraj
authors.affiliation: AU-KBC Research Centre, MIT Campus of Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600044, India.|Department of Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600044, India.
authors.forename: Suvro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: UGC-Centre for Advanced Studies, Stress Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India. bbnath@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bimalendu B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Nath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003890:Desiccation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014199:Trehalose / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014867:Water; D014199:Trehalose; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C023180:trehalose-6-phosphate synthase
keywords: Desiccation stress; Drosophila; ROS; SOD; Trehalose; dTps1-RNAi transgene