简介:Ininsects,thegustatorysystemplaysacrucialroleinmultiplephysiologicalbehaviors,includingfeeding,toxinavoidance,courtship,matingandoviposition.Gustatorystimulifromtheenvironmentarerecognizedbygustatoryreceptors.Todate,littleisknownaboutthefunctionofgustatoryreceptorsinagriculturalpestinsects.Inthisstudy,weclonedasugargustatoryreceptorgene,N/Gr11,fromthebrownplanthopper(BPH),Nilaparvatalugens(Stal),aseriouspestofriceinAsia;wethenidentifieditsligands,namely,fructose,galactoseandarabinose,bycalciumimagingassay.AfterinjectionofN/Gr11doublestrandedRNA,wefoundthatthenumberofeggslaidbyBPHdecreased.Moreover,wefoundthatN/Gr11inhibitedthephosphorylationofadenosinemonophosphate-activatedproteinkinase(AMPK)andpromotedthephosphorylationofproteinkinaseB(AKT).ThesefindingsdemonstratedthatN/Gr11couldacceleratethefecundityofBPHthroughAMPK-andAKT-mediatedsignalingpathways.Thisisthefirstreporttoindicatethatagustatoryreceptormodulatesthefecundityofinsectsandthatthereceptorcouldbeapotentialtargetforpestcontrol.