Transcriptome analysis identifies candidate genes in the biosynthetic pathway of sex pheromones from a zygaenid moth, Achelura yunnanensis (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)

Abstract

In most moth species, sex pheromones responsible for mating and communication of both sexes are primarily produced by the pheromone glands (PGs) of female moths. Although the PG transcriptomes and pheromone production related genes from 24 moth species have been characterized, studies on the related information remain unknown in the Zygaenidae family. Here, we sequenced the PG transcriptome of a zygaenid moth, Achelura yunnanensis. Such the sequencing resulted in the yields of 47,632,610 clean reads that were assembled into 54,297 unigenes, coupled with RNA sequencing data from 12 other tissues. Based on the transcriptome, a total of 191 genes encoding pheromone biosynthesis and degradation enzymes were identified, 161 of which were predicted to have full-length sequences. A comparative analysis among 24 moth species of nine families indicated that the numbers of the genes were variable, ranging from 14 in two Grapholita species to 191 in A. yunnanensis. Phylogenetic analysis in parallel with the expression data highlighted some key genes, including three △9 and four △11 desaturases, four fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) clustering in the pgFAR clade, and three significantly antennae-enriched aldehyde oxidases. An extensive tissue- and sex- expression profile revealed a broad distribution of the genes, in which 128 relatives were detected in the PGs and 127 in the antennae. This study reports, for the first time, the gene repertoires associated with the pheromone production in Zygaenidae, and provides a valuable resource for exploring putative roles of the PG-enriched genes in A. yunnanensis.

Identification and characterization of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases in Dioryctria abietella, with an emphasis on putative roles in olfaction and reproduction

“…Each proportion of reproductive tissues was presented in a previous study (Wu et al 2022) samples of 16 tissues (Wang et al 2021). This hypothesis was further supported by the result of 50 AyunUGTs identified from two transcriptomes of female pheromone glands and 12 adult tissues in Achelura yunnanensis (Li et al 2021;Nuo et al 2021;Xiao et al 2022). However, D. abietella harbored fewer UGT genes than most of the moths with available genome sequences, including four noctuid species (see Table 2), B. mori (Huang et al 2008;Ahn et al 2012) and Manduca sexta (Kanost et al 2016), varying from 44 to 51 representatives.…”

The UDP-Glycosyltransferase Gene Family in Achelura yunnanensis (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae): Identification, Phylogeny, and Diverse Expression Patterns

“…The zygaenid moth, Achelura yunnanensis, is an oligophagous insect herbivore with the larvae feeding solely on the Rosaceae family, particularly its favorable hosts of Cerasus yunnanensis and Photinia glomerata. Therefore, it is considered to be a serious pest of garden plants that generally eats the leaves of host plants and then moves to other hosts for continuing damage [20][21][22]. Like other moths, A. yunnanensis caterpillars are able to metabolize a variety of toxic exogenous and endogenous compounds by detoxification-related tissues, including midguts, fat bodies, and Malpighian tubules.…”

Identification of Candidate Genes Associated with Type-II Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis in the Tea Geometrid (Ectropis obliqua) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

“…With the advent of next-generation sequencing, RNA sequencing has become a powerful tool for analyzing the transcriptomes of a plethora of moth pheromone glands. So far, the transcriptomes of pheromone glands from over 25 moth species across 10 families have been sequenced and characterized [27]. Notably, the majority have been from moths producing Type-I sex pheromones, which are de novo synthesized in the pheromone glands.…”