title: Cuticular protein LmTwdl1 is involved in molt development of the migratory locust.
abstract: The cuticle, an essential structure for insects, is produced from cuticular proteins and chitin via a series of biochemical reactions. Tweedle genes are important members of the cuticular protein family and have four conserved motifs binding to chitin. Tweedle family genes have been found to play a profound effect on cuticle development. Here, we report that the cuticular protein gene LmTwdl1 of Locusta migratoria belongs to the Tweedle family. In situ hybridization showed that LmTwdl1 is localized to epidermal cells of the cuticle. The expression patterns of LmTwdl1 showed low expression in the cuticle during the early and middle stages of the fifth-instar nymphs; in contrast, its expression rapidly increased in the late stages of fifth-instar nymphs. We performed RNA interference to examine the function of LmTwdl1 in locusts. Silencing of LmTwdl1 resulted in high mortality during the molting process before the next stage. Also, the epicuticle of nymphs failed to molt, tended to be thinner and the arrangement of chitin in the procuticle appeared to be disordered compare to the control group. These results demonstrate that LmTwdl1 plays a critical role in molting, which contributes to a better understanding of the distinct functions of the Tweedle family in locusts.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Applied Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Qi
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Applied Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Applied Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Applied Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Applied Biology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D048188:Locusta migratoria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018978:Molting / Q000235:genetics*; D009758:Nymph / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins
keywords: LmTwdl1; Locusta migratoria; RNA interference; cuticular protein; molting