Insects have developed intriguing cuticles with very specific structures and functions, including microstructures governing their interactions with transmitted microbes, such as in aphid mouthparts harboring virus receptors within such microstructures. Here, we provide the first transcriptome analysis of an insect mouthpart cuticle (“retort organs” [ROs], the stylets' precursors). This analysis defined stylets as a complex composite material. The retort transcriptome also allowed us to propose an algorithmic definition of a new cuticular protein (CP) family with low complexity and biased amino acid composition. Finally, we identified a differentially expressed gene encoding a pyrokinin (PK) neuropeptide precursor and characterizing the mandibular glands. Injection of three predicted synthetic peptides PK1/2/3 into aphids prior to ecdysis caused a molt-specific phenotype with altered head formation. Our study provides the most complete description to date of the potential protein composition of aphid stylets, which should improve the understanding of the transmission of stylet-borne viruses.

昆虫已经开发出具有非常特殊的结构和功能的有趣角质层，包括控制它们与传播的微生物相互作用的微结构，例如在这种微结构中隐含病毒受体的蚜虫口器中。在这里，我们提供了昆虫口部表皮（“ retort器官” [ROs]（探针的前体））的第一个转录组分析。该分析将探针定义为复杂的复合材料。脱水转录组还使我们能够提出一种新的表皮蛋白（CP）家族的算法定义，该家族具有较低的复杂性和氨基酸组成偏倚。最后，我们确定了一个差异表达的基因，该基因编码一个焦磷酸肌动蛋白（PK）神经肽前体并表征下颌腺。在蜕皮前向蚜虫中注射三种预测的合成肽PK1 / 2/3会导致蜕皮特异性表型改变头形成。迄今为止，我们的研究对蚜虫口针的潜在蛋白质组成提供了最完整的描述，这应该可以增进对口针传播病毒传播的了解。