Study on the mechanisms underlying overwintering of Culex pipiens pallens using iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the difference of protein expression between the post-overwintering stage and the diapauses preparation stage in Culex pipiens pallens, so as to reveal the mechanisms underlying the overwintering diapause of Cx. pipienspallens. Methods A quantitative proteomic analysis was performed in Cx. pipiens pallens before and after overwintering diapause by using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labeling. Results A total of 244 differentially expressed proteins were identified in Cx. pipiens pallens before and after overwintering diapause, including 126 up-regulated proteins and 118 down-regulated proteins. iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that these differentially expressed proteins were linked to function and energy production and conversion, lipid metabolism, remodeling of cytoskeleton, carbohydrate metabolism, protein transport, molecular chaperones, stress tolerance and metabolic enzymes. Conclusions This is the first study to identify the overwintering diapause-related proteins in Cx. pipiens pallens using proteomics tools, which reveals KEGG pathways and GO terms associated with the overwintering diapauses of Cx. pipiens pallens. Our findings provide additional understandings pertaining to the mechanisms underlying the overwintering diapauses of Cx. pipiens pallens.