Transcriptome profiling analysis of vesicular acetylcholine transporter ( vacht ) functions and signaling pathways in Tribolium castaneum

Vesicular acetylcholine transporter ( vacht ) is necessary for the metamorphosis, reproduction, and insecticide susceptibility of Tribolium castaneum . However, the mechanisms explaining the contribution of Tcvacht in these biological processes remain poorly understood. Here, we report the findings of RNA sequencing-based transcriptome profiling of T. castaneum following RNAi-induced downregulation of Tcvacht . A total of 479 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in RNAi treated insect larvae. Of these, 381 genes were upregulated and 98 showed decreased expression. The DEGs belong to 30 GO functional groups, representing 20 significantly enriched KEGG pathways. We selected three pathways involved in amino acid and nucleotide sugar metabolism, metabolic pathways, and tyrosine metabolism for further analysis. Knockdown of Tcvacht expression downregulated the expression of GSTs , AK , CYPs , and ESTs enzymes involved in the detoxification process of phase 0 and phase I cells. Interestingly, the RNAi treatment affected the Toll-like immune pathway, suggesting that Tcvacht may regulate stress resistance. Moreover, the silencing Tcvacht also increased the expression of some metabolic genes, such as mrp4 , CHs , and CHt , potentially affecting developmental and reproductive processes. Finally, reduction of Tcvacht increased larval susceptibility to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides. These results provide novel insights into biological processes affected by Tcvacht , and provide a potential theoretical basis for the biological control of T. castaneum .