报告题目：Research Advances in Chitinase and Chitin Synthase Gene Families from Anopheles gambiae and nanoparticle-based RNAi in mosquito larvae
报 告 人：Professor Kun Yan Zhu (朱坤炎)
(Department of Entomology， Kansas State University， USA)
报告时间：2010年8月11日(星期三)上午10:00-11:10
报告地点：昆虫科学楼500室
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学术报告摘要:We identified and characterized two chitin synthase genes (AgCHS1 and AgCHS2), and 20 chitinase and chitinase-like genes (groups I-VIII) presumably responsible for chitin biosynthesis and degradation, respectively, in African malaria mosquito (Anopheles gambiae). Immunohistochemistry analysis and developmental stage- and tissue-dependent transcript profiling by using reverse transcription PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and in situ hybridization revealed new information on these genes. Functional analysis of each chitin synthase gene was conducted by using the chitosan/dsRNA nanoparticle-based RNA interference (RNAi) through larval feeding. The repression of AgCHS1 transcript and the reduction of chitin content resulting from the RNAi suggested the systemic nature of RNAi in the larvae. In addition, we demonstrated that silencing of AgCHS1 increased larval susceptibilities to diflubenzuron, whereas silencing of AgCHS2 enhanced the peritrophic matrix disruption and thus increased larval susceptibilities to calcofluor white or dithiothreitol. Our study provided new information on various characteristics of the major gene families involved in chitin metabolism in mosquitoes.
