Two alternative splicing variants of a sugar gustatory receptor modulate fecundity through different signalling pathways in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

• Published in: Journal of insect physiology Vol. 119; p. 103966
• Main Authors: Chen, Weiwen, Chen, Li'e, Li, Dan, Kang, Kui, Liu, Kai, Yue, Lei, Zhang, Wenqing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2019
• Subjects: Alternative Splicing; Animals; Fecundity; Female; Fertility - physiology; Gustatory receptors; Hemiptera - genetics; Hemiptera - physiology; Ligands; Oviposition; Ovum - growth & development; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - physiology; RNA Interference; Signal Transduction; Signalling pathways; Sugars; Signalling pathways; Alternative splicing; Ligands; Fecundity; Gustatory receptors
• ISSN: 0022-1910; 1879-1611
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103966

[Display omitted] •Ligands of NlGr10a are fructose and cellobiose, a ligand of NlGr10b is arabinose.•NlGr10a modulates fecundity through NlVg and NlVgR, but NlGr10b only through NlVg.•NlGr10a and NlGr10b modulates fecundity through AMPK and AKT signaling pathways. Insect gustatory receptors play crucial roles in multiple physiological behaviours. Although the alternative splicing of some gustatory receptors has been observed in insect species, differences in their ligands and functions have rarely been reported. Here, we cloned NlGr10a and NlGr10b, two alternative splicing variants of a sugar gustatory receptor gene in the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), and found that their ligands were different by calcium imaging assay. The ligands of NlGr10a were fructose and cellobiose, and the ligand of NlGr10b was arabinose. Subsequently, the RNAi results showed that knockdown of both splicing variants decreased the number of eggs laid by BPH females, and the egg hatching rate after knockdown of NlGr10a was significantly lower than that after knockdown of NlGr10b. Furthermore, NlGr10a promoted the fecundity of BPH through the AMPK- and AKT-NlVg/NlVgR signalling pathways, whereas NlGr10b promoted the fecundity only through the AMPK- and AKT-NlVg signalling pathways. These findings broaden our understanding of the difference in the ligands and functions of alternative splicing variants of gustatory receptors in insects.