High-throughput profiling of diapause regulated genes from Trichogramma dendrolimi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Abstract

Background The parasitoid wasp, Trichogramma dendrolimi, can enter diapause at the prepupal stage. Thus, diapause is an efficient preservation method during the mass production of T. dendrolimi. Previous studies on diapause have mainly focused on ecological characteristics, so the molecular basis of diapause in T. dendrolimi is unknown. We compared transcriptomes of diapause and non-diapause T. dendrolimi to identify key genes and pathways involved in diapause development. Results Transcriptome sequencing was performed on diapause prepupae, pupae after diapause, non-diapause prepupae, and pupae. Analysis yielded a total of 87,022 transcripts with an average length of 1604 bp. By removing redundant sequences and those without significant BLAST hits, a non-redundant dataset was generated, containing 7593 sequences with an average length of 3351 bp. Among them, 5702 genes were differentially expressed. The result of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that regulation of transcription, DNA-templated, oxidation-reduction process, and signal transduction were significantly affected. Ten genes were selected for validation using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The changes showed the same trend as between the qPCR and RNA-Seq results. Several genes were identified as involved in diapause, including ribosomal proteins, zinc finger proteins, homeobox proteins, forkhead box proteins, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, Glutathione-S-transferase, p53, and DNA damage-regulated gene 1 (pdrg1). Genes related to lipid metabolism were also included. Conclusions We generated a large amount of transcriptome data from T. dendrolimi, providing a resource for future gene function research. The diapause-related genes identified help reveal the molecular mechanisms of diapause, in T. dendrolimi, and other insect species.

Physiological and transcriptional changes associated with obligate aestivation in the cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala)

“…Noteworthy changes include the upregulation of several genes encoding transcription repressors (e.g., zinc finger proteins) and positive transcriptional regulator genes during aestivation compared to the pre-aestivation state. These changes likely contribute to the establishment of the aestivation phenotype through the transcriptional regulation of other relevant genes, a phenomenon observed in other diapausing insects (Bao and Xu, 2011; Guo et al, 2018; Torson et al, 2023; Zhang et al, 2020). Importantly, one specific transcription factor, annotated as SOX-8, showed a unique and substantial upregulation solely during aestivation.…”

Identification of conserved gene expression programs activated in multiple modes of torpor across vertebrate clades

“…StrokeofGenus can be applied to further torpor and non-torpor questions. For instance, additional forms of torpor have been described in invertebrate species, such as aestivation in snails and sea cucumbers, the dauer state in nematodes, and diapause in insects 32,[38][39][40] . Identification of conserved gene expression between torpor in more basal animals and those discussed in this paper could push back the date of the evolution of torpor and generalize the torpor state to include pauses in development.…”

Transcriptional Dynamics Induced by Diapause Hormone in the Silkworm, Bombyx mori

“…On the other hand, GST catalyzes the reaction between reduced glutathione (GSH) and toxic substances to reduce their toxicity and to enhance their dissolubility and excretion, thus achieving the purpose of detoxification [ 64 ]. In some diapause insects, such as Trichogramma dendrolimi , the expression levels of UGT and GST are also increased to enhance resistance to adverse environmental conditions [ 65 ]. Thus, the high expression of UGT2A3 and GST1 in the developing ovaries may also be associated with improved stress resistance.…”