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Molecular identification and diapause‐related functional characterization of a novel dual‐specificity kinase gene, MPKL , in Locusta migratoria
Author(s) -
Hao Kun,
Ullah Hidayat,
Jarwar Aftab Raza,
g Xiangqun,
Tu Xiongbing,
Zhang Zehua
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1002/1873-3468.13544
Subject(s) - diapause , biology , kinase , gene , protein kinase a , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , rna interference , rna , botany , larva
Diapause is an important overwintering strategy enabling Locusta migratoria to survive under stressed conditions. We identified a novel dual‐specificity kinase gene that is differentially expressed between long and short day‐treated L. migratoria . To determine its function on photoperiodic diapause induction, we cloned the specific gene. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis shows that this dual‐specificity kinase is of the mycetozoa protein kinase‐like ( MPKL ) type and may have been transferred horizontally from Mycetozoa to L. migratoria . RNA interference results confirm that MPKL promotes photoperiodic diapause induction of L. migratoria . Furthermore, MPKL significantly inhibits Akt and FOXO (i.e. forkhead box protein O) phosphorylation levels in ovaries, and also enhances reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, whereas peroxidase activity is decreased under both photoperiodic regimes. The findings of the present study offer insight into the molecular mechanism responsible for dual‐specificity kinase‐induced diapause in insects.