Publications by authors named "Zixia Rong"
Mounting evidence indicates that the gut microbiota influences the neurodevelopment and behavior of insects through the gut-brain axis. However, it is currently unclear whether the gut microbiota affect the head profiles and immune pathway in pests. Here, we find that gut bacteria is essential for the immune and neural development of adult Spodoptera frugiperda, which is an extremely destructive agricultural pest worldwide.
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- Insect cuticles are specialized structures produced during embryogenesis, and their formation mechanisms are not fully understood, particularly in relation to the transcription factor POUM2 in Bombyx mori (silkworm).
- Gene editing experiments using CRISPR to knockout POUM2 showed defects in cuticle characteristics such as deposition, pigmentation, and sclerotization in embryos, along with significant changes in the expression of cuticular proteins and enzymes related to chitin metabolism.
- The study reveals that POUM2 is crucial for cuticle formation by regulating the synthesis of chitin and cuticular proteins, as well as influencing pigmentation through tyrosine metabolic pathways during embryonic development.