Genes acting in longevity-related pathways in the endoparasitoid, Pteromalus puparum

Authors: XIONG, SHIJIAO - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; YU, K.L. - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; XINHAI, YE - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; FANG, QI - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; DENG, Y - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; XIAO, SHAN - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; YANG, LEI - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; WANG, BEIBEI - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; WANG, FEI - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; ZHICHAO, YAN - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; WANG, FANG - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; SONG, QISHENG - University Of Missouri; Stanley, David; YE, GONGYIN - Zhejiang Sci-Tech University

Submitted to: Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/27/2019
Publication Date: 10/17/2019
Citation: Xiong, S., Yu, K., Xinhai, Y., Fang, Q., Deng, Y., Xiao, S., Yang, L., Wang, B., Wang, F., Zhichao, Y., Wang, F., Song, Q., Stanley, D.W., Ye, G. 2019. Genes acting in longevity-related pathways in the endoparasitoid, Pteromalus puparum. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. 103(2):e21635. https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.21635.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/arch.21635

Interpretive Summary: Beneficial insect species provide valuable ecological services to humans. Many beneficials, such as honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverfiies, butterflies, moths and flower beetles (in total, more than 20,000 insect species), are responsible for pollinating nearly 900 high-value food crops. Other beneficial insects are natural enemies of pest insect species. Parasitoid insects deposit their eggs into or onto other insect species, where larvae hatch from the eggs and develop to adulthood using the resources of their host insect. Many parasitoid species provide important biological control services by killing pest insects. Some parasitoid species are commercially raised and released to control pest insects. Despite their economic importance, there is very little genetic information on the beneficials. Such information is crucial to optimizing their use and economic value. This paper is one of a series of seven papers reporting on genomic analyses of the beneficial parasitoid, Pteromalus puparum. Here we report on 114 genes associated with longevity of the parasitoid. These new data will help other scientists working on insect lifespans, which may have direct economic value in parasitoid-based biological control of pest insect programs. This work may lead to improved insect biological control technologies and benefit consumers globally.

Technical Abstract: Among insects, lifespans vary over a broad range, from the short-lived mayflies to the 17-year periodical cicadas. Generally, life spans are determined by a phase in life, the reproductive life span, which varies among species. Numerous pathways, such as the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway, the target of rapamycin pathway and the mitogen-activated protein kinase /extracellular signal-regulated kinases pathways, influence aging and lifespan. Components of these pathways were identified as longevity-associated genes, which were enriched in genes mediating growth, metabolism, development, resistance and other processes. Many age-related genes have been discovered in fruit flies, honeybees, ants among other insect species. Studies of insect aging and longevity can help understand insect biology and develop new pest management technologies. In the paper we interrogated the new Pteromalus puparum genome, from which we predicted 114 putative longevity-associated genes based on their homology with known longevity-associated genes of Drosophila melanogaster. These genes function in five signaling pathways and three physiological process. The conserved domain structures of these genes were predicted and their expression was analyzed. Amino acid sequence alignments and domain structures indicate most components remain conserved across at least six insect orders. The data in this paper will facilitate future work on parasitoid lifespans, which may have direct economic value in biocontrol programs.