Functional characterisation of Fe (II) and 2OG‐dependent dioxygenase TcALKBH4 in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

Abstract

Alpha‐ketoglutarate‐dependent dioxygenase ALKB homologue 4 (ALKBH4) is a member of the Fe (II) and 2‐oxoglutarate‐dependent ALKB homologue family that plays important roles in epigenetic regulation by alkyl lesions removal in mammals. However, the roles of ALKBH4 in insects are not clear. Here, TcALKBH4 was cloned and functionally characterised in Tribolium castaneum. Temporal expression revealed that TcALKBH4 was highly expressed in early embryos and early pupae. Spatial expression showed that TcALKBH4 was highly expressed in the adult testis, and followed by the ovary. RNA interference targeting TcALKBH4 at different developmental stages in T. castaneum led to apparent phenotypes including the failure of development in larvae, the reduction of food intake and the deficiency of fertility in adult. However, further dot blot analyses showed that TcALKBH4 RNAi does not seem to influence 6 mA levels in vivo. qRT‐PCR was used to further explore the underlying molecular mechanisms; the result showed that TcALKBH4 mediates the development of larvae possibly through 20E signalling pathway, and the fertility of female and male adult might be regulated by the expression of vitellogenesis and JH signalling pathway, respectively. Altogether, these findings will provide new insights into the potential function of ALKBH4 in insects.

Novel Inhibitor of Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase Catalytic Subunit against Tribolium castaneum: High-Throughout Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulation, and Bioassay

“…First, ZINC000032992384 was dissolved in acetone and diluted using 0.1% Triton X-100 to obtain seven two-fold series diluents (1.56–100 mg/L). The flour disks containing serial dilutions of ZINC000032992384 were prepared after the 200 μL pastes (test solution:flour, 5:1) were placed at 37 °C for 12 h . Healthy 17-days-old larvae (T.…”

“…3 2 First, ZINC000032992384 was dissolved in acetone and diluted using 0.1% Triton X-100 to obtain seven two-fold series diluents (1.56−100 mg/L). The flour disks containing serial dilutions of ZINC000032992384 were prepared after the 200 μL pastes (test solution:flour, 5:1) were placed at 37 °C for 12 h. 33 Healthy 17-daysold larvae (T. castaneum strain Georgia-1, GA-1) were grouped into an 8 cm Petri dish containing the ZINC000032992384-incorporated diet with 20 larvae per each treatment and 3 replicates per treatment.…”