Comparative transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes in the ovary and testis of Athetis dissimilis

Insects have developed a variety of sex-determining regulatory mechanisms throughout their evolution. In this study, we analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEG) from the ovary and testis transcriptomes of Athetis dissimilis . A total of 11065 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the males and females were identified, of which 6685 genes were up-regulated and 4380 genes were down-regulated in females. A Adistra-2 (525 bp) gene was obtained from the transcriptome of A. dissimilis , and sequence alignment with other related species revealed a highly conserved RRM domain. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Adistra-2 protein is a close relative of the lepidopterous tra-2 protein. The qRT-PCR of the Adistra-2 temporal and spatial expression pattern showed that it is more abundant during embryonic development than other stages, and its expression was higher in ovaries than in testes. This work provides a theoretical reference for the sex differentiation and genetic manipulation of this insect.