Hox基因Abd-B调控萤火虫闪光行为的分子机制研究

Fireflies flash or glow via light organs to communicate or warn predators. The theory of flash control was confirmed but molecular mechanism still remains unknown. We found Hox gene Abd-B not only regulates development of abdomen and light organ but also flash control behavior. We discovered that transcript depletion of Abd-B in aquatic firefly Aquatic leii resulted in not only extensive disruption of adult light organ in 1st –day-pupal stage but glow continuously in 3rd-day–day-pupal stage. We believe that’s a good method to explore the molecular mechanism of flash control. Comparing two different phenotypes and normal individuals, we can select and cloned relative genes. By using RNAi, we can confirm relative genes associated with flash control, expression pattern, feature of promoters and interaction network. Our application aims to establish a molecular regulation network of flash control. This study also provides important fundamental basis to understand diversity of flash signals and evolution.

萤火虫通过发光器发出的闪光信号进行两性交流和天敌警戒，人们已经初步弄清了闪光控制的生理机制，但是闪光控制的分子机制还知之甚少。申请者在研究Hox基因Abd-B调控雷氏萤腹部形体发育时，发现该基因对闪光行为有调控作用：在蛹期沉默该基因可以产生发光器不发光和发光器常亮的两种表型。这是研究萤火虫闪光控制的分子调控机制的切入点。通过比较研究两种表型和正常的个体：筛选并克隆受到Abd-B调控的闪光控制相关基因或蛋白；利用RNAi方法，验证Abd-B调控的闪光控制相关基因的作用，明确表达模式和启动子特征，阐明与之相关的基因互作关系网络。最终，探索Abd-B基因调控萤火虫闪光行为的分子机制。本项目的研究将建立一个萤火虫闪光行为的分子调控模型，并为萤火虫闪光信号的多样性及进化的研究提供重要理论基础。