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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2012, Vol. 11 Issue (2): 303-311    DOI: 10.1016/S1671-2927(00)8547
SECTION 3: MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF Bemisia tabaci Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
p38 MAPK is a Component of the Signal Transduction Pathway Triggering Cold Stress Response in the MED Cryptic Species of Bemisia tabaci
 LI Fang-fang, XIA Jun, LI Jun-min, LIU Shu-sheng , WANG Xiao-wei
1.Key Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029,P.R.China
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摘要  Cold stress responses help insects to survive under low temperatures that would be lethal otherwise. This phenomenon might contribute to the invasion of some Bemisia tabaci cryptic species from subtropical areas to temperate regions. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating cold stress responses in whitefly are yet unclear. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) which including p38, ERK, and JNK, are well known for their roles in regulating metabolic responses to cold stress in many insects. In this study, we explored the possible roles of the MAPKs in response to low temperature stresses in the Mediterranean cryptic species (the Q-biotype) of the B. tabaci species complex. First, we cloned the p38 and ERK genes from the whitefly cDNA library. Next, we analyzed the activation of MAPKs during cold stress in the Mediterranean cryptic species by immuno-blotting. After cold stress, the level of phospho-p38 increased but no significant change was observed in the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, thus suggesting that the p38 might be responsible for the defense response to low temperature stress. Furthermore, we demonstrated that: i) 3 min chilling at 0°C was sufficient for the activation of p38 MAPK pathway in this whitefly; and ii) the amount of phosphorylated p38 increased significantly in the first 20 min of chilling, reversed by 60 min, and then returned to the original level by 120 min. Taken together, our results suggest that the p38 pathway is important during response to low temperature stress in the Mediterranean cryptic species of the B. tabaci species complex.

Abstract  Cold stress responses help insects to survive under low temperatures that would be lethal otherwise. This phenomenon might contribute to the invasion of some Bemisia tabaci cryptic species from subtropical areas to temperate regions. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating cold stress responses in whitefly are yet unclear. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) which including p38, ERK, and JNK, are well known for their roles in regulating metabolic responses to cold stress in many insects. In this study, we explored the possible roles of the MAPKs in response to low temperature stresses in the Mediterranean cryptic species (the Q-biotype) of the B. tabaci species complex. First, we cloned the p38 and ERK genes from the whitefly cDNA library. Next, we analyzed the activation of MAPKs during cold stress in the Mediterranean cryptic species by immuno-blotting. After cold stress, the level of phospho-p38 increased but no significant change was observed in the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, thus suggesting that the p38 might be responsible for the defense response to low temperature stress. Furthermore, we demonstrated that: i) 3 min chilling at 0°C was sufficient for the activation of p38 MAPK pathway in this whitefly; and ii) the amount of phosphorylated p38 increased significantly in the first 20 min of chilling, reversed by 60 min, and then returned to the original level by 120 min. Taken together, our results suggest that the p38 pathway is important during response to low temperature stress in the Mediterranean cryptic species of the B. tabaci species complex.
Keywords:  Bemisia tabaci      cold stress      MAPK      p38      phosphorylation      signal transduction  
Received: 01 March 2011   Accepted:
Fund: 

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30730061) and the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB119203).

Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence WANG Xiao-wei, Tel: +86-571-86971390, Fax: +86-571-86049815, E-mail: xwwang@zju.edu.cn   

Cite this article: 

LI Fang-fang, XIA Jun, LI Jun-min, LIU Shu-sheng , WANG Xiao-wei. 2012. p38 MAPK is a Component of the Signal Transduction Pathway Triggering Cold Stress Response in the MED Cryptic Species of Bemisia tabaci. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 11(2): 303-311.

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