The importance of vitellogenin receptors in the oviposition of the pond wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata

• Published in: Insect science 2022-04, Vol.29 (2), p.443-452
• Main Authors: Yang, Zhi‐Ming, Lu, Tian‐Yu, Wu, Yong, Yu, Na, Xu, Guang‐Ming, Han, Qian‐Qian, Liu, Ze‐Wen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Domains; Egg Proteins - chemistry; Egg Proteins - genetics; Egg Proteins - metabolism; Female; Females; Gametocytes; Hormones; juvenile hormone; Juvenile hormones; Ligands; Oocytes; Ovaries; Oviposition; Pardosa pseudoannulata; Ponds; Receptor density; Receptors; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism; reproduction; RNA-mediated interference; Spiders; Spiders - genetics; Spiders - metabolism; Transcription; Vitellogenesis; Vitellogenin; vitellogenin receptor
• ISSN: 1672-9609; 1744-7917
• DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12933

Vitellogenin receptor (VgR) is crucial for vitellogenin (Vg) uptake by oocytes. VgR is less known in Arachnida, especially in spiders. Different from only one VgR in an arthropod species, two VgRs, VgR‐1 and VgR‐2, were found in the pond wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata. Both VgRs had the typical domains of the low‐density lipoprotein receptor family except for the absence of the ligand‐binding domain 1 in VgR‐2. Spatiotemporal expression profiles showed that two VgR genes were consistently highly expressed in females and their ovaries, but VgR‐1 was 48‐fold that of VgR‐2 in ovaries. The transcriptional level of VgR‐1 was significantly downregulated by RNAi, but it did not work for VgR‐2 although several trials were performed. Vg‐1 and Vg‐2 might be the ligands of VgR‐1 because their expressions were also decreased in the dsVgR‐1‐treated females. Silencing VgR‐1 prolonged the pre‐oviposition period by 56 h. The expression of VgRs and Vgs were upregulated by juvenile hormones (JHs), which suggested that JHs were the essential factors to vitellogenesis in the spider. The present study revealed the importance of VgR‐1 in the spider oviposition, which will improve the understanding on VgR physiological functions in spiders. Graphical : 1. Two VgRs were identified in the spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata. 2. LBD1 was absent in VgR‐2, which have lower expression than that of VgR‐1. 3. Silencing VgR‐1 resulted in the prolonged pre‐oviposition. 4. VgRs and Vgs were induced by JHs but not ecdysteroids.