The N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ionotropic ligand gated channels that are highly permeable to calcium ions. In insects, NMDARs are associated with glutamatergic neurotransmission governing diverse physiological and biological processes like vitellogenesis and ovarian development. Therefore, NMDAR may act as attractive target for insect pest control. In present study, we performed structural and functional characterization of NMDARs in Bemisia tabaci, a highly invasive crop pest and potent virus vector. We identified that NMDAR consists of three subunits each encoded by single gene in whiteflies which are highly conserved among different insect orders. Expression analysis suggests that subunit 1 (BtNR1) and subunit 2 (BtNR2) are the main functional units. External supplementation of NMDAR ligand or BtNRs silencing was lethal to insects, which suggested that NMDAR function is highly balanced in whiteflies.

中文翻译：

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烟粉虱 N-甲基-d-天冬氨酸受体的分子表征

N-甲基-d-天冬氨酸受体（NMDARs）是离子型配体门控通道，对钙离子具有高度渗透性。在昆虫中，NMDARs 与谷氨酸能神经传递有关，控制着多种生理和生物过程，如卵黄生成和卵巢发育。因此，NMDAR 可能成为害虫防治的有吸引力的目标。在本研究中，我们对烟粉虱中的 NMDAR 进行了结构和功能表征，一种高度侵入性的作物害虫和有效的病毒载体。我们发现 NMDAR 由三个亚基组成，每个亚基由粉虱中的单个基因编码，这些亚基在不同昆虫目中高度保守。表达分析表明亚基 1 (BtNR1) 和亚基 2 (BtNR2) 是主要的功能单元。外部补充 NMDAR 配体或 BtNRs 沉默对昆虫是致命的，这表明 NMDAR 功能在粉虱中高度平衡。