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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2022, Vol. 21 Issue (2): 474-485    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63427-X
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Expression profiles and functional prediction of ionotropic receptors in Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
ZHANG Yu1, 2, YANG Bin2, YU Jie2, PANG Bao-ping1, WANG Gui-rong2, 3
1 Research Center for Grassland Entomology, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P.R.China
2 State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
3 Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture (Shenzhen Branch)/Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518116, P.R.China
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Abstract  Genes involved in chemosensation are essential for odorant-mediated insect behaviors.  Odorant receptors (ORs) bind and respond to pheromones and plant volatiles, regulating insect behaviors such as mating and host-plant selection, while ionotropic receptors (IRs), which are present at lower levels in insects than ORs, influence ion channels, especially in agricultural pests.  Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, is the main pest of maize that causes huge economic losses in Asia.  Twenty-one OfurIRs have been identified, but none has been characterized.  In this study, tissue-specific expression profiling, phylogenetic analysis, and electroantennography (EAG) analysis were applied to characterize the evolution, expression, and the potential function of OfurIRs.  It was found that 20 OfurIRs were highly expressed in the antennae, except for OfurIR75p3, whereas 10 and nine OfurIRs were highly expressed in the proboscis and genitalia, respectively, indicating that these OfurIRs were functionally associated with feeding and oviposition.  EAG results showed that seven acids elicited responses in the antennae of O. furnacalis and that 2-oxopentanoic acid displayed a significant female-biased response.  Combined with the phylogenetic analysis, 10 OfurIRs in clade 4 were roughly predicted to be candidate receptors for 2-oxopentanoic acid and other tested acids.  These results provide basic information about OfurIRs and may help advance the knolwedge on the olfactory system of O. furnacalis
Keywords:  ionotropic receptors       Ostrinia furnacalis             phylogenetic analysis       EAG       qRT-PCR  
Received: 06 June 2020   Accepted: 12 September 2020
Fund: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31701859, 31725023 and 31621064).

About author:  ZHANG Yu, E-mail: zhangyu15326050747@163.com; Correspondence PANG Bao-ping, E-mail: pangbp@imau.edu.cn; YANG Bin, Tel: +86-10-62810689, E-mail: byang@ippcass.cn

Cite this article: 

ZHANG Yu, YANG Bin, YU Jie, PANG Bao-ping, WANG Gui-rong. 2022. Expression profiles and functional prediction of ionotropic receptors in Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 21(2): 474-485.

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