In triatomines, blood‐feeding triggers many physiological processes including post embryonic development and reproduction. Different feeding habits, such as hematophagy, can shape gene functions to meet the challenges of each type of diet. The gut of blood‐sucking insects faces particular challenges after feeding due to the quantity and the quality of the food ingested. A comparison of transcriptomic and proteomic data indicates that post transcriptional regulation of gene expression is crucial in the triatomine gut. It was proposed that eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit m (eIF3m) and eIF3e define 2 different eIF3 complexes with a distinct affinity for the different mRNAs, thus selecting the set of mRNAs to be translated and constituting a post transcriptional mode of regulation of gene expression. Because the eIF3m is mainly expressed in the gut, we evaluated its relevance in Rhodnius prolixus physiology through RNA interference‐mediated gene silencing. The knockdown of eIF3m reduced the digestion rate, affecting the processes triggered by a blood meal. Its silencing inhibited molting and caused premature death in nymphs while impaired ovary development, oviposition and increased resistance to starvation in adult females. The survival of males after feeding (resistance to starvation) was not affected by eIF3m knockdown. The information regarding the eIF3m function in insects is scarce and the phenotypes observed in R. prolixus upon eIF3m silencing are different and more severe than those previously described in Drosophila melanogaster, indicating a pleiotropic role of this gene in triatomines.
In triatomines, blood-feeding triggers many physiological processes, including post-embryonic development and reproduction. Different feeding habits, such as hematophagy, can shape gene functions to meet the challenges of each type of diet. A comparison of transcriptomic and proteomic data indicates that post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression is crucial in triatomines, so we evaluated the impact of RNAi silencing of the eukaryotic translation initiation factors 3 subunit m (eIF3m) in R. prolixus physiology. We showed that eIF3m is essential for correct digestion, affecting the processes triggered by a blood meal. The silencing of this gene inhibited moulting and caused the premature death of nymphs, while in adult females inhibited oviposition and increased resistance to starvation. Male survival was not affected by eIF3m knockdown. The information regarding the eIF3m function in insects is scarce. The phenotypes observed in R. prolixus upon eIF3m gene silencing are different and more severe than those described in Drosophila melanogaster, pointing to the particular importance of this gene in triatomines.
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