DataSheet2_A species-specific lncRNA modulates the reproductive ability of the asian tiger mosquito.XLSX

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) research has emerged as an independent scientific field in recent years. Despite their association with critical cellular and metabolic processes in plenty of organisms, lncRNAs are still a largely unexplored area in mosquito research. We propose that they could serve as exceptional tools for pest management due to unique features they possess. These include low inter-species sequence conservation and high tissue specificity. In the present study, we investigated the role of ovary-specific lncRNAs in the reproductive ability of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Through the analysis of transcriptomic data, we identified several lncRNAs that were differentially expressed upon blood feeding; we called these genes Norma (NOn-coding RNA in Mosquito ovAries). We observed that silencing some of these Normas resulted in significant impact on mosquito fecundity and fertility. We further focused on Norma3 whose silencing resulted in 43% oviposition reduction, in smaller ovaries and 53% hatching reduction of the laid eggs, compared to anti-GFP controls. Moreover, a significant downregulation of 2 mucins withing a neighboring (∼100 Kb) mucin cluster was observed in smaller anti-Norma3 ovaries, indicating a potential mechanism of in-cis regulation between Norma3 and the mucins. Our work constitutes the first experimental proof-of-evidence connecting lncRNAs with mosquito reproduction and opens a novel path for pest management.

长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）研究近年来已发展为一门独立的科学研究领域。尽管这类RNA与众多生物的关键细胞及代谢过程密切相关，但在蚊虫研究领域，长链非编码RNA仍有大量尚未被充分探索的内容。我们提出，长链非编码RNA凭借其独特的属性——种间序列保守性低、组织特异性强——可成为害虫防治的优质工具。本研究针对亚洲虎蚊（白纹伊蚊，Aedes albopictus）卵巢特异性长链非编码RNA在其生殖能力中的作用展开了探究。通过转录组数据分析，我们筛选出若干在蚊虫吸血后差异表达的长链非编码RNA，并将这些基因命名为Norma（蚊虫卵巢非编码RNA，NOn-coding RNA in Mosquito ovAries）。实验发现，沉默部分Norma基因会对蚊虫的产卵量及繁殖力造成显著影响。我们进一步聚焦于Norma3：与抗绿色荧光蛋白（anti-GFP）对照组相比，沉默Norma3会导致蚊虫产卵量降低43%，卵巢体积缩小，且所产卵的孵化率下降53%。此外，在体积缩小的抗Norma3卵巢中，我们观察到邻近（约100 Kb）的黏蛋白（mucin）基因簇中有2个黏蛋白的表达显著下调，这提示Norma3与黏蛋白之间可能存在顺式调控机制。本研究首次通过实验证实了长链非编码RNA与蚊虫生殖过程的关联，为害虫防治开辟了全新的研究方向。