Caste-specific microRNA expression in termites: insights into soldier differentiation
Caste-specific microRNA expression in termites: insights into soldier differentiation
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DOI：
10.1111/imb.12530
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发表时间：
2019-02-01
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Miura, T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Matsunami, M.;Nozawa, M.;Miura, T.
真社会性昆虫具有多型种姓系统，其中每个种姓都表现出特征性的形态和行为。在昆虫中，种姓制度在不同的谱系中独立出现，如等翅目和膜翅目。虽然通过基因和激素的功能分析已经阐明了白蚁真社会性发展的部分分子机制，但microRNA（miRNAs）对种姓分化的贡献尚不清楚。为了了解miRNA在白蚁种姓多型性中的作用，我们在地下白蚁（Reticulitermes speratus）中进行了小RNA测序，并鉴定了在士兵和工人种姓中特异性表达的miRNA。在R. speratus基因组中，74个在昆虫中保守，174个在其它白蚁中保守。我们发现8种miRNAs（mir-1，mir-125，mir-133，mir-2765，mir-87 a和3种白蚁特异性miRNAs）在红腹蚁兵蚁和工蚁中差异表达。speratus。通过实时定量PCR对5种miRNAs的差异表达进行了实验验证。此外，士兵和工人白蚁种姓中的八个DE miRNA中的四个也在白蚁种姓中差异表达。发现等翅目和膜翅目共享几个DE miRNA的种姓之间表明，这些miRNA独立地进化在这些不同的谱系。
Eusocial insects have polyphenic caste systems in which each caste exhibits characteristic morphology and behaviour. In insects, caste systems arose independently in different lineages, such as Isoptera and Hymenoptera. Although partial molecular mechanisms for the development of eusociality in termites have been clarified by the functional analysis of genes and hormones, the contribution of microRNAs (miRNAs) to caste differentiation is unknown. To understand the role of miRNAs in termite caste polyphenism, we performed small RNA sequencing in a subterranean termite (Reticulitermes speratus) and identified the miRNAs that were specifically expressed in the soldier and worker castes. Of the 550 miRNAs annotated in the R. speratus genome, 74 were conserved in insects and 174 were conserved in other termite species. We found that eight miRNAs (mir-1, mir-125, mir-133, mir-2765, mir-87a and three termite-specific miRNAs) are differentially expressed (DE) in soldiers and workers of R. speratus. This differential expression was experimentally verified for five miRNAs by real-time quantitative PCR. Further, four of the eight DE miRNAs in soldier and worker termite castes were also differentially expressed in hymenopteran castes. The finding that Isoptera and Hymenoptera shared several DE miRNAs amongst castes suggests that these miRNAs evolved independently in these phylogenetically distinct lineages.