ABSTRACT: Tissue-specific transcriptomics, chromosomal localization, and phylogeny of chemosensory and odorant binding proteins from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum reveal subgroup specificities for olfaction or more general functions
Project description:Chemoreception is based on the senses of smell and taste that are crucial for animals to find new food sources, shelter, and mates. The initial step in olfaction involves the translocation of odorants from the periphery through the aqueous lymph of the olfactory sensilla to the odorant receptors by chemosensory proteins (CSPs) or odorant binding proteins (OBPs).To better understand the roles of CSPs and OBPs in a coleopteran pest species, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), we performed transcriptome analyses of male and female antennae, heads, mouthparts, legs, and bodies, which revealed that all 20 CSPs and 49 of the 50 previously annotated OBPs are transcribed. Only six of the 20 CSP are significantly transcriptionally enriched in the main chemosensory tissues (antenna and/or mouthparts), whereas of the OBPs all eight members of the antenna binding proteins II (ABPII) subgroup, 18 of the 20 classic OBP subgroup, the C+OBP, and only five of the 21 C-OBPs show increased chemosensory tissue expression. By MALDI-TOF-TOF MS protein fingerprinting, we confirmed three CSPs, four ABPIIs, three classic OBPs, and four C-OBPs in the antennae.Most of the classic OBPs and all ABPIIs are involved in chemoreception. A few are also present in other tissues like odoriferous glands and testes and may be involved in release or transfer of chemical signals. The majority of the CSPs as well as the C-OBPs are not enriched in antennae or mouthparts, suggesting a more general role in the transport of hydrophobic molecules. RNAseq data obtained from different body parts of adult males and females, as well as larvae
Project description:Characterization of miRNAs in red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum by deep sequencing of two different RNA libraries. Sequencing of Tribolium small RNAs from adults and embryos.
Project description:Chemoreception is based on the senses of smell and taste that are crucial for animals to find new food sources, shelter, and mates. The initial step in olfaction involves the translocation of odorants from the periphery through the aqueous lymph of the olfactory sensilla to the odorant receptors by chemosensory proteins (CSPs) or odorant binding proteins (OBPs).To better understand the roles of CSPs and OBPs in a coleopteran pest species, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), we performed transcriptome analyses of male and female antennae, heads, mouthparts, legs, and bodies, which revealed that all 20 CSPs and 49 of the 50 previously annotated OBPs are transcribed. Only six of the 20 CSP are significantly transcriptionally enriched in the main chemosensory tissues (antenna and/or mouthparts), whereas of the OBPs all eight members of the antenna binding proteins II (ABPII) subgroup, 18 of the 20 classic OBP subgroup, the C+OBP, and only five of the 21 C-OBPs show increased chemosensory tissue expression. By MALDI-TOF-TOF MS protein fingerprinting, we confirmed three CSPs, four ABPIIs, three classic OBPs, and four C-OBPs in the antennae.Most of the classic OBPs and all ABPIIs are involved in chemoreception. A few are also present in other tissues like odoriferous glands and testes and may be involved in release or transfer of chemical signals. The majority of the CSPs as well as the C-OBPs are not enriched in antennae or mouthparts, suggesting a more general role in the transport of hydrophobic molecules.
Project description:Genome-wide survey of transcriptional differences between males and females of Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle Four biological replicates for male and female beetles with 20 individuals per replicate. Two technical replicates, one replicate per sex. 16,434 genes/expressed non-coding regions represented twice on each array. Three 60 mer probes for most exons/expressed non-coding regions. 167,538 unique genomic probes replicated twice per array.
Project description:Evolution of cis-properties (such as enhancers) often plays an important role in the production of diverse morphology. However, a mechanistic understanding is often limited by the absence of methods to study enhancers in species outside of established model systems. Here, we sought to establish methods to identify and test enhancer activity in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. To identify possible enhancer regions, we first obtained genome-wide chromatin profiles from various tissues and stages of Tribolium via FAIRE (Formaldehyde Assisted Isolation of Regulatory Elements)-sequencing. Comparison of these profiles revealed a distinct set of open chromatin regions in each tissue and stage. Second, we established the first reporter assay system that works in both Drosophila and Tribolium, using nubbin in the wing and hunchback in the embryo as case studies. Together, these advances will be useful to study the evolution of cis-language and morphological diversity in Tribolium and other insects.
Project description:Using a tiled whole-genome microarray, we found that 58.2% of Tribolium castaneum genes are maternally loaded into eggs. Comparison of known Drosophila melanogaster maternal genes to our results showed widespread conservation of maternal function with T. castaneum. We also found many T. castaneum genes with previously identified gender or tissue specific expression were also maternally loaded into eggs. The microarray design also allowed the detection of 2315 and 4060 novel transcriptionally active regions greater in length than 100 bp in unfertilized and fertilized T. castaneum eggs, respectively. The primary objective of this study was to identify expressed regions of the Tribolium castaneum genome in unfertilized and fertilized eggs using a whole-genome tiled microarray. The whole RNA of 3 samples of virgin laid eggs and 3 samples of fertilized eggs were compaired.
