RNAi-Mediated Functional Analysis of Bursicon Genes Related to Adult Cuticle Formation and Tanning in the Honeybee, Apis mellifera

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167421
• Publication Date: 2016-12-01T19:23:01Z
• Authors: Claudinéia Pereir...; Moysés Elias-Neto; Tiago Falcon; Rodrigo Pires Dal...; Juliana Ramos Mar...; Marcia Maria Gent...
• Keywords: Cuticle (hair); Ecdysis

Bursicon is a heterodimeric neurohormone that acts through G protein-coupled receptor named rickets (rk), thus inducing an increase in cAMP and the activation of tyrosine hydroxylase, rate-limiting enzyme cuticular tanning pathway. In insects, role bursicon post-ecdysial adult cuticle wing expansion well characterized. Here we investigated roles genes encoding subunits during development honeybee, Apis mellifera. RNAi-mediated knockdown AmBurs α β prevented complete formation (melanization/sclerotization) cuticle. A thinner, much less tanned was produced, ecdysis toward stage impaired. Consistent with these results, transcripts also interfered expression its receptor, AmRk, structural proteins, enzymes melanization/sclerotization pathway, evidencing for tanning. Moreover, α, AmRk contingent on declining ecdysteroid titer triggers onset synthesis deposition. The search candidate targets RNA-seq libraries prepared brains integuments strengthened our data transcript quantification RT-qPCR. Together, results support premise has tanning, are agreement other recent studies pointing pharate-adult stage, addition to classical ones.