Role of <i>Chitin Deacetylase 1</i> in the Molting and Metamorphosis of the Cigarette Beetle <i>Lasioderma serricorne</i>

• Main Authors: Wen-Jia Yang, Kang-Kang Xu, Yi Yan, Can Li, Dao-Chao Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: chitin deacetylase; cigarette beetle; molting; wing development; RNA interference
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/7/2449
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are chitin-modifying enzymes known to play vital roles in insect metamorphosis and development. In this study, we identified and characterized a <i>chitin deacetylase</i> <i>1</i> gene (<i>LsCDA1</i>) from the cigarette beetle <i>Lasioderma serricorne</i>. <i>LsCDA1</i> contains a 1614 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 537 amino acids that includes domain structures typical of CDAs. <i>LsCDA1</i> was mainly expressed in the late larval and late pupal stages. In larval tissues, the highest level of <i>LsCDA1</i> was detected in the integument. The expression of <i>LsCDA1</i> was induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in vivo, and it was significantly suppressed by knocking down the expression of ecdysteroidogenesis genes and 20E signaling genes. RNA interference (RNAi)-aided silencing of <i>LsCDA1</i> in fifth-instar larvae prevented the larval–pupal molt and caused 75% larval mortality. In the late pupal stage, depletion of <i>LsCDA1</i> resulted in the inhibition of pupal growth and wing abnormalities, and the expression levels of four wing development-related genes (<i>LsDY</i>, <i>LsWG</i>, <i>LsVG</i>, and <i>LsAP</i>) were dramatically decreased. Meanwhile, the chitin contents of <i>LsCDA1</i> RNAi beetles were significantly reduced, and expressions of three chitin synthesis pathway genes (<i>LsTRE1</i>, <i>LsUAP1</i>, and <i>LsCHS1</i>) were greatly decreased. The results suggest that <i>LsCDA1</i> is indispensable for larval–pupal and pupal–adult molts, and that it is a potential target for the RNAi-based control of <i>L. serricorne</i>.