Proteins encoded by nanchung, inactive, nompC and piezo genes have been shown to play crucial roles in the initial detection of mechanical force by various insect auditory neurons, nociceptors and touch receptors. Most of this previous research has been performed on the larval and adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We identified and assembled all four homologous genes in transcriptomes from the cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Injection of long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into the adult cockroach abdomen successfully reduced the expression of each gene, as measured by quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). A simple electrophysiological assay was used to record action potential firing in afferent nerves of cockroach femoral tactile spines in response to a standardized mechanical step displacement. Responses of nanchung knockdown animals were significantly reduced compared to matched sham-injected animals at 14 and 21 days after injection, and inactive knockdowns similarly at 21 days. In contrast, responses of nompC and piezo knockdowns were unchanged. Our results support a model in which Nanchung and Inactive proteins combine to form a part of the mechanotransduction mechanism in the cockroach tactile spine.

中文翻译：

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RNA干扰支持蟑螂，美洲大plane，触觉脊柱在机械转化中南充失活的作用。

已经证明，由nanchung，inactive，nompC和压电基因编码的蛋白质在各种昆虫听觉神经元，伤害感受器和触觉受体对机械力的初始检测中起着至关重要的作用。之前的大多数研究是对幼虫和成年果蝇果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）进行的。我们从蟑螂美洲大plane的转录组中鉴定并组装了所有四个同源基因。通过定量PCR（RT-qPCR）测量，将长双链RNA（dsRNA）注入成年蟑螂腹部可成功减少每个基因的表达。一个简单的电生理测定法被用于记录响应于标准化机械步进位移的蟑螂股触觉棘突传入神经的动作电位放电。与匹配的假注射动物相比，在注射后第14天和第21天，与匹配的假注射动物相比，南充敲低动物的反应显着降低，而在第21天，类似的无活性敲低动物的反应也有所降低。相反，nompC和压电的响应击倒没有改变。我们的结果支持一种模型，其中Nanchung和Inactive蛋白结合形成蟑螂触觉脊柱机械转导机制的一部分。