DEAD-box protein 6 (DDX6) is a member of the DDX RNA helicase family that exists in all eukaryotes. It has been extensively studied in yeast and mammals and has been shown to be involved in messenger ribonucleoprotein assembly, mRNA storage, and decay, as well as in miRNA-mediated gene silencing. DDX6 participates in many developmental processes but the biological function of DDX6 in insects has not yet been adequately addressed. Herein, we characterized the LmDDX6 gene that encodes the LmDDX6 protein in Locusta migratoria, a global, destructive pest. LmDDX6 possesses five motifs unique to the DDX6 subfamily. In the phylogenetic tree, LmDDX6 was closely related to its orthologs in Apis dorsata and Zootermopsis nevadensis. RT-qPCR data revealed high expression of LmDDX6 in the ovary, muscle, and fat body, with a declining trend in the ovary after adult ecdysis. LmDDX6 knockdown downregulated the expression levels of the juvenile hormone receptor Met, and genes encoding Met downstream targeted Grp78-1 and Grp78-2, reduced LmVg expression, and impaired ovary development and oocyte maturation. These results demonstrate that LmDDX6 plays an essential role in locust female reproduction and, thus, could be a novel target for locust biological control.

中文翻译：

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DDX6 对于飞蝗卵母细胞的发育和成熟至关重要


DEAD-box 蛋白 6 (DDX6) 是所有真核生物中都存在的 DDX RNA 解旋酶家族的成员。它已在酵母和哺乳动物中进行了广泛的研究，并已被证明参与信使核糖核蛋白组装、mRNA 储存和衰变，以及 miRNA 介导的基因沉默。 DDX6 参与许多发育过程，但 DDX6 在昆虫中的生物学功能尚未得到充分研究。在此，我们鉴定了飞蝗（一种全球性破坏性害虫）中编码 LmDDX6 蛋白的LmDDX6基因。 LmDDX6 拥有 DDX6 亚家族独有的五个基序。在系统发育树中，LmDDX6与其Apis dorsata和Zootermopsis nevadensis中的直系同源物密切相关。 RT-qPCR数据显示LmDDX6在卵巢、肌肉和脂肪体中高表达，成虫蜕皮后卵巢呈下降趋势。 LmDDX6敲除下调保幼激素受体Met 的表达水平，下游编码 Met 的基因靶向Grp78-1和Grp78-2 ，降低LmVg表达，损害卵巢发育和卵母细胞成熟。这些结果表明， LmDDX6在雌性蝗虫繁殖中发挥着重要作用，因此可能成为蝗虫生物防治的新靶标。