AUTHOR=Lu Ming-Xing , He Fu-Jing , Zhu Feng , Du Yu-Zhou 

TITLE=The regulation of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) during the apoptosis of Cotesia chilonis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1328167

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2023.1328167

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p>Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are crucial components of apoptosis that perform vital roles in the regulation of caspase activity in organisms. In this study, two IAPs genes were identified from <italic>Cotesia chilonis</italic>, the dominant parasitic wasp of <italic>Chilo suppressalis</italic>. <italic>Cc</italic>IAP1 gene is a typical IAP and contains two BIR domains and a RING domain, whereas <italic>Cc</italic>IAP gene is an atypical IAP1 only containing two BIR domains. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that <italic>Cc</italic>IAP1 and <italic>Cc</italic>IAP were grouped with other Hymenopteran IAPs and IAP1 in <italic>C. suppressalis.</italic> Real-time quantitative PCR revealed that <italic>Cc</italic>IAP1 and <italic>Cc</italic>IAP genes were both highly induced at −6°C and 30°C, and expression was highest at the third instar stage. The expression of <italic>Cc</italic>IAP1 and <italic>Cc</italic>IAP genes were significantly induced during parasitism of <italic>C. suppressalis</italic>, and the 7-d time point resulted in the highest expression levels for both genes, in which was an advanced stage of larval development of <italic>C. chilonis</italic>. RNAi experiments showed that <italic>Cc</italic>IAP1 gene was the key IAP in the regulation of apoptosis of <italic>C. chilonis</italic> and its host. In conclusion, <italic>Cc</italic>IAP1 and <italic>Cc</italic>IAP correlate with the development of <italic>C. chilonis</italic> and their responses to temperature stress.</p>