Molecular cloning and characterization of the S6K-p70 gene in Chinese honeybees, Apis cerana cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

• Main Authors: Yingqi CAI, Taobo AI, Xiaoli YU, Baohua XU, Xingqi GUO
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2013-01-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: apidae; ribosomal protein s6 kinase; apis cerana cerana; development; environmental stresses; expression pattern
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201301-0003_Molecular_cloning_and_characterization_of_the_S6K-p70_gene_in_Chinese_honeybees_Apis_cerana_cerana_Hymenopter.php

The ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K) plays a pivotal role in developmental processes and cell survival by participating in protein synthesis relevant signaling pathways. In the present study, an S6K gene (AccS6K-p70) was isolated and characterized from the Chinese honeybee, Apis cerana cerana (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), an important economic insect in the agricultural industry. The cDNA of AccS6K-p70 was 1683 bp in length and predicted to encode a protein of 467 amino acid residues. Sequence and structure analysis showed that there was a conserved catalytic domain in AccS6K-p70, whilst a phosphorylation site was found in the conserved part of the catalytic domain. Development relevant transcription factor binding sites found in the 5'-flanking region of AccS6K-p70 suggest that AccS6K-p70 might be involved in A. c. cerana development. Furthermore, quantitative PCR revealed that the expression levels of AccS6K-p70 were higher in head and thorax than in other tissues. The AccS6K-p70 was highly expressed in both larvae and adults compared with that in pupae, whilst expression of the gene was significantly down-regulated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (although initially and slightly increased by it) and pyriproxyfen (a juvenile hormone analogue insecticide) stresses. These results suggest that AccS6K-p70 may play critical roles in developmental processes and cell survival in A. c. cerana, whilst both oxidative stress and pyriproxyfen may impair S6K-p70 mediated developmental processes by down-regulation of AccS6K-p70 expression.