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Expression dynamics of key ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone biosynthesis genes imply a coordinated regulation pattern in the molting process of a spider mite, Tetranychus urticae

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Abstract

In insects, the ecdysteroid 20-hydroxyecdysone coordinates with juvenile hormone (JH) to regulate the process of molting, development and metamorphosis; however, this interaction is still unclear in the mites. In this study, we investigated the gene related to ecdysteroid and JH biosynthesis pathways, including four ecdysteroid and 11 JH biosynthesis genes. We examined their expression patterns during molting of different developmental stages of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), an important agricultural pest that feeds on more than 1100 plant species. The expression of ecdysteroid biosynthesis Halloween genes exhibited a positive zigzag-like pattern, with a peak after 8 h of molting and a drop 8 h after entering each quiescent stage. In contrast, JH biosynthesis genes expression displayed a negative zigzag-like pattern, with a peak at 8 h after entering each quiescent stage and a drop after 8 h of each molting. These opposite patterns imply that ecdysteroid and JH expression is coordinated during the developmental transition. Our data provide an initial perspective on the co-expression of ecdysteroid and JH biosynthesis genes to regulate this important developmental process in the two-spotted spider mite.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (31871969) and the Funds from Chongqing Science and Technology Commission (cstc2017shmszx-xdny0031).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China

    Gang Li, Qin-Zhe Sun, Xun-Yan Liu, Jun Zhang, Wei Dou, Jin-Zhi Niu & Jin-Jun Wang

  2. Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China

    Gang Li, Qin-Zhe Sun, Xun-Yan Liu, Jun Zhang, Wei Dou, Jin-Zhi Niu & Jin-Jun Wang

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  1. Gang Li
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Correspondence to Jin-Jun Wang.

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Li, G., Sun, QZ., Liu, XY. et al. Expression dynamics of key ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone biosynthesis genes imply a coordinated regulation pattern in the molting process of a spider mite, Tetranychus urticae. Exp Appl Acarol 78, 361–372 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-019-00396-y

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