LAUSR

BACKGROUND Diapause is an environmentally preprogrammed period of arrested development, and characterized by metabolic depression that can occur during any development stage of insect. The insect steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), is converted from ecdysone by the cytochrome P450 enzyme shade (CYP314A1), and it exerts potent effect on the induction and maintenance of diapause in obligatory diapause insects. However, the regulatory mechanism of 20E in obligatory diapause development remains unclear. In this study, the function of 20E in the pupal diapause of Bactrocera minax, was investigated. RESULTS We determined the expression pattern of Halloween P450 genes from larvae to adult B. minax, and found differential expression of CYP314A1 from other P450 genes with a high level in larvae, and a low level in pupae. Dysfunction of CYP314A1 by dsCYP314A1 microinjection in third-instar larvae caused significant larval mortality or abnormal pupae. Compared with dsGFP and DEPC-water, dsCYP314A1 injected larvae had significantly reduced 20E titer and altered energy metabolism, and many individuals failed to pupate. Exogenous 20E microinjected into late third-instar larvae or 20E fed to early third-instar larvae both caused similar energy metabolism changes. The 20E treated larvae of B. minax had reduced total lipids and increased amounts of trehalose and glycogen. Furthermore, 20E treated diapause individuals showed rapid pupal development. CONCLUSION The 20E biosynthesis was regulated by the expression of CYP314A1, and was involved in the induction and termination phase of obligate diapause by regulating energy metabolism in B. minax. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.