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Physiological significance of alternatively spliced exon combinations of the single‐copy gene class A chitin synthase in the insect Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera)
Author(s) -
Qu M.,
Yang Q.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2012.01145.x
Subject(s) - exon , biology , alternative splicing , bombyx mori , chitinase , chitin , chitin synthase , ostrinia furnacalis , gene , metamorphosis , gene isoform , insect , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , larva , biochemistry , botany , chitosan
Insect chitin synthase is an essential enzyme involved in chitin biosynthesis in insects. Chitin synthase A ( CHSA ) is expressed in different insect tissues during different developmental stages. CHSA contains alternative‐splicing exons that allow tissue‐ and development‐specific chitin synthesis. Here, we report that OfCHSA from the lepidopteran Ostrinia furnacalis contains two alternative‐splicing exons, exons 2a and 2b and exons 19a and 19b. Although four combinations of these exons are theoretically possible, we found that transcripts containing exon 2a were dominant during most developmental stages, including embryonic development, larval−larval moulting, the larval−pupal transition and pupal−adult metamorphosis. Unexpectedly, 2b‐containing transcripts were much more responsive to 20‐hydroxyecdysone regulation than 2a‐containing ones, suggesting that although OfCHSA isoforms encoded by 2b‐containing transcripts are normally expressed at very low levels, they play unique roles. Spliced exons 2a and 2b have also been observed in Bombyx mori ; therefore, this work provides new insights into the regulation of insect chitin synthase, particularly in lepidopteran insects.