A neural m6A pathway regulates behavioral aggregation in migratory locusts

• DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2476-1
• Publication Date: 2024-03-13T12:50:24Z
• Authors: Xianliang Huang; Qing Li; Yanan Xu; Ang Li; Shanzheng Wang; Yusheng Chen; Chunrui Zhang; Xia Zhang; Hailin Wang; Cong Lv; Baofa Sun; Shaoqin Li; Le Kang; Bing Chen
• Keywords: Adenosine; Behavior, Animal; Gene Expression Regulation; Animals; Locusta migratoria; Brain; AlkB Homolog 5, RNA Demethylase; Insect Proteins; Methyltransferases; Grasshoppers; Transcriptome

RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as the most abundant modification of messenger RNA, can modulate insect behaviors, but its specific roles in aggregation behaviors remain unexplored. Here, we conducted a comprehensive molecular and physiological characterization of the individual components of the methyltransferase and demethylase in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Our results demonstrated that METTL3, METTL14 and ALKBH5 were dominantly expressed in the brain and exhibited remarkable responses to crowding or isolation. The individual knockdown of methyltransferases (i.e., METTL3 and METTL14) promoted locust movement and conspecific attraction, whereas ALKBH5 knockdown induced a behavioral shift toward the solitary phase. Furthermore, global transcriptome profiles revealed that m6A modification could regulate the orchestration of gene expression to fine tune the behavioral aggregation of locusts. In summary, our in vivo characterization of the m6A functions in migratory locusts clearly demonstrated the crucial roles of the m6A pathway in effectively modulating aggregation behaviors.