Low-concentration lead stress enhanced the reproductive potential of Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Troupeau) (Acarina: Acaridae) by upregulating both the expression level and protein level of Vitellogenin gene
摘要
Lead (Pb) contamination, a kind of heavy metal pollution, severely impacts organism growth and reproduction. Although vitellogenin (Vg) has been studied in many species, its characteristics in the pest Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Troupeau) (Acari: Acaridae) remain unknown. In this study, the full-length Vg gene of A. ovatus was cloned (6030 bp, encoding 2009 aa), with phylogenetic analysis grouping A. ovatus with Sarcoptes scabiei Linnaeus (Sarcoptiformes: Sarcoptidae) and Euroglyphus maynei Cooremant (Sarcoptiformes: Pyroglyphidae), supporting their phylogenetic relationship. The expression pattern of the AoVg gene under different Pb concentrations (0 mg kg−1, 12.5 mg kg−1, 25 mg kg−1, 50 mg kg−1, 100 mg kg−1) was investigated using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and a polyclonal antibody was generated against AoVg. The results showed that lead stress affected the transcription and translation profiles of Vg gene in A. ovatus. Both Western Blot and ELISA kit analysis found that AoVg protein content was slightly boosted under both 25 and 100 mg kg−1 lead stress and significantly enhanced under 12.5 mg kg−1 lead stress while that was decreased significantly under 50 mg kg−1 lead stress. These results would help us to understand the molecular mechanism underlying lead stress in A. ovatus and provide new insight into the theoretical basis for the prevention and control of A. ovatus.