AUTHOR=Luo Guang-Hua , Chen Xi-En , Jiao Yao-Yu , Zhu Guan-Heng , Zhang Ru , Dhandapani Ramesh Kumar , Fang Ji-Chao , Palli Subba Reddy 

TITLE=SoxC is Required for Ecdysteroid Induction of Neuropeptide Genes During Insect Eclosion

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.942884

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2022.942884

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>In insects, the shedding of the old exoskeleton is accomplished through ecdysis which is typically followed by the expansion and tanning of the new cuticle. Four neuropeptides, eclosion hormone (EH), ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH), crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) and bursicon (Bur) are known to control ecdysis. However, the regulation of these neuropeptide genes is still poorly understood. Here, we report that in the red flour beetle (RFB) <italic>Tribolium castaneum</italic> and the fall armyworm (FAW) <italic>Spodoptera frugiperda</italic>, knockdown or knockout of the <italic>SoxC</italic> gene caused eclosion defects. The expansion and tanning of wings were not complete. In both RFB and FAW, the knockdown or knockout of <italic>SoxC</italic> resulted in a decrease in the expression of <italic>EH</italic> gene. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that the SfSoxC protein directly binds to a motif present in the promoter of <italic>SfEH</italic>. The luciferase reporter assays in Sf9 cells confirmed these results. These data suggest that transcription factor <italic>SoxC</italic> plays a key role in ecdysteroid induction of genes coding for neuropeptides such as EH involved in the regulation of insect eclosion.</p>