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对东方蝗的卵母细胞发育和成熟至关重要

DEAD-box蛋白6（DDX6）是所有真核生物中存在的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研究，并已显示出它参与了信使核糖核蛋白的组装，mRNA的存储和衰减以及miRNA介导的基因沉默。DDX6参与了许多发育过程，但DDX6在昆虫中的生物学功能尚未得到充分解决。在本文中，我们表征了LmDDX6基因，该基因编码Locusta migratoria（一种具有破坏性的全球性害虫）中的LmDDX6蛋白。LmDDX6具有DDX6亚家族独有的五个图案。在系统发育树中，LmDDX6与它在蜜蜂Apis dorsata和Zootermopsis nevadensis中的直系同源基因密切相关。。RT-qPCR数据显示LmDDX6在卵巢，肌肉和脂肪体内高表达，成年蜕变后卵巢呈下降趋势。LmDDX6敲低下调了少年激素受体Met的表达水平，并且编码Met下游的基因靶向Grp78-1和Grp78-2，降低了LmVg表达，并损害了卵巢发育和卵母细胞成熟。这些结果表明，LmDDX6在蝗虫雌性生殖中起着至关重要的作用，因此，可能成为蝗虫生物防治的新目标。