Suppression of glycerol biosynthesis‐related genes decreases the effect of rapid cold hardening in Helicoverpa assulta

Insects acquire cold hardiness for survival during the winter by increasing cryoprotectants concentration such as glycerol and trehalose after induction of rapid cold hardening (RCH). The oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta, is a freeze‐tolerant species which increases glycerol level in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entomological research 2022-01, Vol.52 (1), p.24-32
Main Authors: Cha, Wook Hyun, Lee, Dae‐Weon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biosynthesis
Cold
Cold hardiness
Cold tolerance
Conserved sequence
Cryoprotectors
Dehydrogenases
Fat body
Glycerol
Glycerol kinase
glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase
Helicoverpa assulta
Hemolymph
NAD
Phylogeny
rapid cold hardening
RNA-mediated interference
RNAi
Survival
Trehalose
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Summary:Insects acquire cold hardiness for survival during the winter by increasing cryoprotectants concentration such as glycerol and trehalose after induction of rapid cold hardening (RCH). The oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta, is a freeze‐tolerant species which increases glycerol level in the hemolymph after RCH induction. In this study, we identified two glycerol biosynthesis‐related genes, glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (Has‐GPDH) and glycerol kinase (Has‐GK) in the fat body of H. assulta larvae. Has‐GPDH harbored a conserved NAD+‐dependent glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase signature sequence, and Has‐GK harbored two conserved FGGY carbohydrate kinase signature sequences. Phylogenetic analysis revealed both Has‐GPDH and Has‐GK were relatively close to those of Helicoverpa armigera. The expression levels of Has‐GPDH and Has‐GK were increased after RCH induction at 4°C for 6 h. After suppression of Has‐GPDH and Has‐GK by RNA interference, the survival rate of H. assulta at −10°C was much lower than the control after RCH induction. These results suggest that glycerol biosynthesized by Has‐GPDH and Has‐GK plays a crucial role in RCH‐induced cold tolerance in H. assulta.
ISSN:1738-2297
1748-5967
DOI:10.1111/1748-5967.12561