cDNA Cloning and Partial Characterization of the <i>DJ-1</i> Gene from <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>

The <i>DJ-1</i> gene is highly conserved across a wide variety of organisms and it plays a role in anti-oxidative stress mechanisms in cells. The red flour beetle, <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>, is widely used as a model insect species because it is easy to evaluate gene functio...

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Main Authors: Shunya Sasaki (Author), Maaya Nishiko (Author), Takuma Sakamoto (Author), Michael R. Kanost (Author), Hiroko Tabunoki (Author)
Format: Book
Published: MDPI AG, 2021-12-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:The <i>DJ-1</i> gene is highly conserved across a wide variety of organisms and it plays a role in anti-oxidative stress mechanisms in cells. The red flour beetle, <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>, is widely used as a model insect species because it is easy to evaluate gene function in this species using RNA interference (RNAi). The <i>T. castaneum</i> <i>DJ-1</i> (<i>TcDJ-1</i>) sequence is annotated in the <i>T. castaneum</i> genome database; however, the function and characteristics of the TcDJ-1 gene have not been elucidated. Here, we investigated the cDNA sequence of TcDJ-1 and partially characterized its function. First, we examined the TcDJ-1 amino acid sequence and found that it was highly conserved with sequences from other species. <i>TcDJ-1</i> mRNA expression was higher in the early pupal and adult developmental stages. We evaluated oxidant tolerance in <i>TcDJ-1</i> knockdown adults using paraquat and found that adults with <i>TcDJ-1</i> knockdown exhibited increased sensitivity to paraquat. Our findings show that <i>TcDJ-1</i> has an antioxidant function, as observed for DJ-1 from other insects. Therefore, these results suggest that <i>TcDJ-1</i> protects against oxidative stress during metamorphosis.
Item Description:10.3390/antiox10121970
2076-3921