Low temperature-induced diapause mechanisms of Coridius chinensis via transcriptomics sequencing

Abstract

Coridius chinensis, a valued species used in traditional Chinese medicine, undergo overwintering diapause. To clarify the mechanisms, we examined how low temperature treatments can affect diapause and cold tolerance in C. chinensis. Using transcriptome analysis, we obtained differently expressed 3225 mRNAs (DEGs) and 177 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The more down-regulated DEGs and lncRNAs in diapause groups (DP) than low-temperature (LT) stress groups when compared with wild control (WC) groups. From co-expression network, 6 DEGs with 14 corresponding lncRNAs were finally identified and positively correlated to low temperature variation. Among them, 3 DEGs refered insulin signaling pathway as GAD and tdcB were up-regulated trends in WC-LT-DP, while JAK2 was decreaed after low temperature stress but increased at dispause stage. The qPCR test of GAD and JAK2 were obtained the similar results as transcriptome. Additionally, the genes annotated in the juvenile hormone synthesis pathway were almost at down-expression in DP when compared with LT groups, which was consistent with changes in juvenile hormone contents. Our results indicated the differences between cold stress and diapause in C.chinensis were closed related with the insulin metabolism and juvenile hormone synthesis, as well as diversity regulation in DEGs mean the diapause occurrence refer various fields changing in cold stress.