2015/12/23 by R. Li, Guo-Fang Jiang, G.F. Jiang +9
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy #Orthoptera Research and Taxonomy #Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
paper · doi:10.1017/s0007485315000991
crossref issued 2015/12/23 · crossref published 2015/12/23 · crossref published-online 2015/12/23 · openalex publication_date 2015/12/23 · crossref created 2015/12/23 · crossref published-print 2016/04/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · crossref deposited 2019/04/19 · crossref indexed 2026/07/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are now recognized as key post-transcriptional regulators in regulation of phenotypic diversity. Qinlingacris elaeodes is a species of the alpine grasshopper, which is endemic to China. Adult individuals have three wing forms: wingless, unilateral-winged and short-winged. This is an ideal species to investigate the phenotypic plasticity, development and evolution of insect wings because of its case of unilateral wing form in both the sexes. We sequenced a small RNA library prepared from mesothoraxes of the adult grasshoppers using the Illumina deep sequencing technology. Approximately 12,792,458 raw reads were generated, of which the 854,580 high-quality reads were used only for miRNA identification. In this study, we identified 49 conserved miRNAs belonging to 41 families and 69 species-specific miRNAs. Moreover, seven miRNA*s were detected both for conserved miRNAs and species-specific miRNAs, which were supported by hairpin forming precursors based on polymerase chain reaction. This is the first description of miRNAs in alpine grasshoppers. The results provide a useful resource for further studies on molecular regulation and evolution of miRNAs in grasshoppers. These findings not only enrich the miRNAs for insects but also lay the groundwork for the study of post-transcriptional regulation of wing forms.