Male accessory glands (MAGs) produce seminal fluid proteins that are essential for the fertility and also influence the reproductive physiology and behavior of mated females. In many insect species, and especially in the moth Agrotis ipsilon, juvenile hormone (JH) promotes the maturation of the MAGs but the underlying molecular mechanisms in this hormonal regulation are not yet well identified. Here, we examined the role of the JH receptor, Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and the JH-inducible transcription factor, Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) in transmitting the JH signal that upregulates the growth and synthetic activity of the MAGs in A. ipsilon. We cloned two full length cDNAs encoding Met1 and Met2 which are co-expressed with Kr-h1 in the MAGs where their expression levels increase with age in parallel with the length and protein content of the MAGs. RNAi-mediated knockdown of either Met1, Met2, or Kr-h1 resulted in reduced MAG length and protein amount. Moreover, injection of JH-II into newly emerged adult males induced the transcription of Met1, Met2 and Kr-h1 associated to an increase in the length and protein content of the MAGs. By contrast, JH deficiency decreased Met1, Met2 and Kr-h1 mRNA levels as well as the length and protein reserves of the MAGs of allatectomized old males and these declines were partly compensated by a combined injection of JH-II in operated males. Taken together, our results highlighted an involvement of the JH-Met-Kr-h1 signaling pathway in the development and secretory activity of the MAGs in A. ipsilon.

雄性附属腺 (MAG) 会产生精液蛋白，这些蛋白对生育能力至关重要，也会影响交配雌性的生殖生理和行为。在许多昆虫物种中，尤其是在Agrotis ipsilon蛾中，保幼激素(JH) 促进 MAG 的成熟，但这种激素调节的潜在分子机制尚未得到很好的鉴定。在这里，我们检查了JH 受体、耐甲氧普林 (Met) 和 JH 诱导型转录因子 Krüppel 同源物 1 (Kr-h1) 在传递 JH 信号中的作用，该信号上调A 中MAG 的生长和合成活性。地老虎。我们克隆了两个编码Met1和Met2 的全长 cDNA它们在 MAG 中与Kr-h1共表达，其中它们的表达水平随着 MAG 的长度和蛋白质含量的增加而增加。RNAi介导的Met1、Met2或Kr-h1的敲低导致MAG长度和蛋白质量减少。此外，将 JH-II 注射到新出现的成年雄性中会诱导Met1、Met2和Kr-h1的转录，这与MAG 的长度和蛋白质含量的增加有关。相比之下，JH 缺乏会降低Met1、Met2和Kr-h1allatectomized 老年雄性的 mRNA 水平以及 MAG 的长度和蛋白质储备，这些下降通过联合注射 JH-II 部分补偿。总之，我们的结果强调了 JH-Met-Kr-h1 信号通路参与A. ipsilon 中MAG 的发育和分泌活动。