褪黑素在蚜虫生殖模式转换中对温度和光周期的响应机制

蚜虫是农林业上一类重要害虫。在年生活史中，蚜虫依温度和光周期变化而营周期性孤雌生殖。因孤雌生殖时，世代周期短，世代数目多，种群数量大，对农业生产造成严重威胁。若能人工调控其孤雌生殖时生殖模式的转变、减少孤雌生殖世代的数目，对于降低蚜害以及解决蚜害问题有着重大理论和实践意义。因此光周期变化是如何导致蚜虫生殖模式转换的内在机制问题备受关注。褪黑素是一种吲哚类内分泌激素，作为光周期变化的生理信号物质而在生物界广泛存在。在哺乳动物中，褪黑素因能调控季节性繁殖动物的生殖活动而被广泛应用。但褪黑素在蚜虫生殖模式转换中的变化规律以及作用机制还不清楚。本项目以豌豆蚜为研究对象，研究褪黑素对温度和光周期变化的响应机制以及外源褪黑素对蚜虫生殖可塑性的影响，研究结果不仅可以明确褪黑素对蚜虫生殖模式转换的调控作用，也可揭示褪黑素在蚜虫生殖模式转换的光信号传导过程中的作用机制，为褪黑素在蚜虫防控方面的应用奠定基础。

Aphids are important pests in agriculture and forestry. Aphids undergo periodic parthenogenesis depending on temperature and photoperiod changes during their annual life cycle. Due to parthenogenesis, aphids have a short generation cycle and large population, which poses a serious threat to agricultural production. It will be of great theoretical and practical significance to reduce aphid damage and solve aphid harm, if the reproductive mode of aphids can be regulated and parthenogenetic generations can be reduced artificially during parthenogenesis. Therefore, how photoperiod changes lead to the transformation of aphid reproductive patterns has attracted much attention. Melatonin is a kind of indoles endocrine hormone and widely exists in biology as a physiological signal of photoperiod changes. Melatonin is widely used in mammals for its ability to regulate the reproductive activities of seasonal breeding animals. However, the mechanism of melatonin changes in aphid reproductive pattern transformation is still unclear.This project by pea aphid as the research object is aimed to explore melatonin response to changes in temperature and photoperiod and clear the regulation function of exogenous melatonin on aphids reproductive plasticity. The results of this project will not only explicit the function of melatonin in aphids reproductive mode conversion to photoperiod changes, but also reveal the mechanism of melatonin in light signal conduction process of aphids reproductive mode conversion for exogenous melatonin application to provide theoretical basis in aphid control.