Significance Apoptotic processes play an important role in the development and physiology of almost all metazoan clades. In the highly diverse group of insects, apoptotic pathways have been characterized in… Click to show full abstract
Significance Apoptotic processes play an important role in the development and physiology of almost all metazoan clades. In the highly diverse group of insects, apoptotic pathways have been characterized in only a few dipteran and lepidopteran species, which may not be representative of all insect species. Here, we report the first complete annotation of the apoptotic pathway in a hemipteran insect, the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. We showed that its apoptotic pathway is rewired compared to other insects, with a significant increase in the number of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) and evidence for functional diversification and structural modularity of this protein family. These novelties are widespread in the aphid lineage, suggesting a yet not understood novel aphid-specific function of IAPs.
Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year Published: 2020
Link to full text (if available)
Share on Social Media: Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!