<i>In silico</i> identification and expression analysis of glutathione <i>S</i>-transferase in <i>Tenebrio molitor</i>

Abstract

Selective herbicides are used to control undesirable vegetation or weeds in fields without harming crops. Herbicide use for weed management can directly impact the densities of insect pests in agricultural communities as a result of insect mortality during and immediately after application. In insects, the glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzyme is involved in both the detoxification process and the defense of cellular membranes against oxidative damage. In this study, two TmGSTs (TmGST-iso1 and TmGST-iso2) were identified and characterized to elucidate the GST family in Tenebrio molitor. Among the developmental stages of T. molitor, eggs had the highest expression levels of TmGST-iso1. TmGST-iso2 expression was highest in the pre-pupal stage. TmGST-iso1 expression was high in the guts of early and late larvae, whereas TmGST-iso2 expression was not observed in early larvae. Adults, both male and female, had the highest levels of TmGST-iso1 mRNA expression in the gut and reproductive organs, and the highest levels of TmGST-iso2 expression in the reproductive organs. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the impact of treatment with butachlor on the mRNA expression of TmGST-iso1 and TmGST-iso2 in larvae. TmGST-iso1 expression increased in the butachlor-treated group after 3 and 24 h, whereas TmGST-iso2 expression peaked at 24 h after treatment. This study provides vital information about the detoxifying activities of T. molitor.