Functional characterization of the Drosophila suzukii pro-apoptotic genes reaper , head involution defective and grim

AbstractApoptosis is a fundamental process for the elimination of damaged or unwanted cells, and is a key aspect of development. It is triggered by pro-apoptotic genes responding to the intrinsic pathway that senses cell stress or the extrinsic pathway that responds to signals from other cells. The disruption of these genes can therefore lead to developmental defects and disease. Pro-apoptotic genes have been studied in detail in the fruit flyDrosophila melanogaster, a widely-used developmental model. However, little is known about the corresponding genes in its relativeD. suzukii, a pest of soft fruit crops that originates from Asia but is now an invasive species in many other regions. The characterization ofD. suzukii pro-apoptotic genes could lead to the development of transgenic sexing strains for pest management. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of the pro-apoptotic genesreaper (Dsrpr),head involution defective (Dshid) andgrim (Dsgrim) from a laboratory strain ofD. suzukii. We determined their expression profiles during development, revealing that all three genes are expressed throughout development butDsrpr is expressed most strongly, especially at the pupal stage. Functional analysis was carried out by expressing single genes or pairs (linked by a 2A peptide) in S2 cell death assays, indicating thatDsgrim andDshid are more potent pro-apoptotic genes thanDsrpr, and the lethality can be significantly enhanced by co-expression of two genes. Therefore, ...
Source: Apoptosis - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research