AUTHOR=Li Guilin , Zhang Chenghao , Wang Hongfang , Xia Wenli , Zhang Xinyi , Liu Zhenguo , Wang Ying , Zhao Hang , Xu Baohua 

TITLE=Characterisation of the heat shock protein Tid and its involvement in stress response regulation in Apis cerana

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.1068873

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2022.1068873

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> The impact of various environmental stresses on native <italic>Apis cerana cerana</italic> fitness has attracted intense attention in China. However, the defence responses of <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic> to different stressors are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanism mediated by the tumorous imaginal discs (Tid) protein of <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic> (AccTid) in response to stressors.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We used some bioinformatics softwares to analyse the characterisation of Tid. Then, qRT–PCR, RNA interference and heat resistance detection assays were used to explore the function of Tid in stress response in <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic>.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold><italic>AccTid</italic> is a homologous gene of human Tid1 and <italic>Drosophila</italic> Tid56, contains a conserved J domain and belongs to the heat shock protein DnaJA subfamily. The level of <italic>AccTid</italic> induced expression was increased under temperature increases from 40°C to 43°C and 46°C, and <italic>AccTid</italic> knockdown decreased the heat resistance of <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic>, indicating that the upregulation of <italic>AccTid</italic> plays an important role when <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic> is exposed to heat stress. Interestingly, contrary to the results of heat stress treatment, the transcriptional level of <italic>AccTid</italic> was inhibited by cold, H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and some agrochemical stresses and showed no significant change under ultraviolet ray and sodium arsenite stress. These results suggested that the requirement of <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic> for Tid differs markedly under different stress conditions. In addition, knockdown of <italic>AccTid</italic> increased the mRNA levels of some Hsps and antioxidant genes. The upregulation of these Hsps and antioxidant genes may be a functional complement of <italic>AccTid</italic> knockdown.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold><italic>AccTid</italic> plays a crucial role in <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic> stress responses and may mediate oxidative damage caused by various stresses. Our findings will offer fundamental knowledge for further investigations of the defence mechanism of <italic>A. cerana cerana</italic> against environmental stresses.</p>