Study of Protein Constituents of Lepidopteran Peritrophic Membranes

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Animals face numerous environmental challenges in the ecosystem. The digestive tract is a primary site interfacing with the environment and interacting with various physical, chemical and biological factors. Particularly, the extracellular matix lining of the gut, which is often a mucus layer in higher animals and is the peritrophic membrane (PM) in invertebrates (especially in insects), directly interfaces with the environment and serves as the first line of defense. Therefore, understanding of the formation and function of the PM is fundamental for understanding the interactions of insects with their plant or animal hosts, microorganisms and various abiotic factors from the environment. PMs are a unique extracellular matrix composed of chitin and proteins, and their structure and function are critically dependent on the proteins. The aim of this research is to understand the function of PM proteins in PM structure and formation. The function of PM proteins will be investigated by silencing the expression of individual PM protein genes in a Lepidoptera insect, Trichoplusia ni, to reveal the roles of the proteins in PM formation and by profiling the expression of individual PM protein genes in response to PM damage and to feeding on different host plants to examine the dynamic regulation of PM protein synthesis and their function in interaction with host plants. In addition, interactions of the major PM protein, the insect intestinal mucin, with other PM proteins will be examined and characterized to identify the role of protein-protein interaction in the PM structure and formation. This proposed research is expected to result in a broad and in-depth understanding of the molecular properties and function of the PM, which will advance the understanding of the PM in the areas of insect physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology and facilitate the understanding of the interactions of insects with the environment, including their host plants/animals, microorganisms and other environmental factors. The knowledge derived from this project may direct development of new strategies for the control of agriculturally and medically important insect pests for public welfare. This proposed research is an integrative project of research and education. It will provide opportunities for postdoctoral and both graduate and undergraduate student training, which is an integral component of the principal investigators program.