Location: Biological Control of Insects Research
Title: A head-specific transcriptomic study reveals key regulatory pathways for winter diapause in the mosquito Culex pipiensAuthor
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DHUNGANA, PRABIN - Baylor University |
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WEI, XUEYAN - Baylor University |
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Kang, David |
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SIM, CHEOLHO - Baylor University |
Submitted to: Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2025 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: During the winter season, the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, overwinters (also called diapause) as a vital survival strategy. This allows them to undergo specific physiological shifts, including enhanced stress resistance, increased lipid storage, and a longer lifespan. The fat body serves as the main organ for nutrient storage, utilization, and hormonal communication. During overwintering there is a notable shift in gene expression in the head. Although there have been significant advancements in screening gene activity in overwintering and non-overwintering mosquitoes, there is still a lack of tissue-specific gene activity analysis in the head Here, we addressed this gap in knowledge. Technical Abstract: Previous research has shown that changes in phenotype can happen in energy metabolism and reproductive development. However, it is still not clear how these changes are controlled at the transcriptome level in Cx. pipiens. This study involved conducting a thorough analysis of the head in diapausing Cx. pipiens using RNA-seq to screen the transcriptome. Our objective was to discover new genes and analyze the metabolic pathways that could potentially influence the onset and regulation of diapause. Our study demonstrates the diapause's innate adaptive metabolic flexibility, exposing dynamic changes in transcriptional regulation throughout the period. |