Accessory gland protein regulates pairing process and oviposition in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis after swarming

Accessory gland protein (ACP) experiences significant changes in succinylation and acetylation levels after termite swarming. We have discovered that ACP can regulate the termite pairing process through succinylation and acetylation modification. Bioinformatics analysis shows that impact of ACP on termite pairing process and oviposition is achieved through mediating a part of the β-alanine metabolism pathway. AbstractSwarming and pairing behaviors are significant to population dispersal of termites. Tandem running is a key process in pairing behavior of dealates to find a mate. Succinylation can lead to significant changes in protein structure and function, which is widely involved in metabolism and behavior regulation in many organisms. However, whether succinylation modification regulates termites ’ tandem running is currently unknown. In this research, we performed quantitative modified proteomics of the subterranean termiteReticulitermes chinensis Snyder before and after alate swarming. The succinylation levels of accessory gland protein (ACP) were significantly altered after alate swarming. We found that ACP is enriched in male accessory gland and female oocytes of termites. The acetylation and succinylation sites of ACP affected tandem running of dealates. The transcriptome and metabolome analyses of alates injected with ACP and its mutant proteins showed thatβ-alanine metabolism pathway was the major downstream pathway of ACP. Silencing the significantly differenti...

Source: Insect Science - April 5, 2024 Category: Biology Authors: Yutong Liu, Fei Zhang, Ali Hassan, Xuguo Zhou, Qiuying Huang Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research