Proteins from eggs of the spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) reveal clues about its diapause regulation

Abstract

Embryo development in eggs of the spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) passes through four phases (known as S1 to S4) being stopped at S2 during diapause. Studies about the molecular basis of diapause in spittlebugs are nonexistent. Here, we analyzed proteins from non-diapausing (ND), diapausing (D) and post-diapausing (PD) eggs of the spittlebug M. spectabilis. In total, we identified 87 proteins where 12 were in common among the developmental and diapause phases and 19 remained as uncharacterized. Non-diapausing eggs (S2ND and S4ND) showed more proteins involved in information storage and processing than the diapausing ones (S2D). Eggs in post-diapausing (S4PD) had a higher number of proteins associated with metabolism than S2D. The network of protein interactions and metabolic processes allowed the identification of different sets of molecular interactions for each developmental and diapause phases. Two heat shock proteins (Hsp65 and Hsp70) along with two proteins associated with intracellular signaling (MAP4K and a serine/threonine-protein phosphatase) were found only in diapausing and/or post-diapausing eggs and are interesting targets to be explored in future experiments. These results shine a light on one key biological process for spittlebug survival and represent the first search for proteins linked to diapause in this important group of insects.

Genome-editing opportunities to enhance cattle productivity in the tropics

“…During the rainy season, the attack of spittlebugs impacts forage productivity and quality (green circles represent the level of spittlebug attack over the year). By the end of the rainy season, these insects lay diapausing eggs that survive during the dry season (Saraiva et al 2022). When focusing on the integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems, better shade tolerance is needed, although the molecular basis for this trait has not been searched in the main tropical forge grasses cultivated in Brazil.…”