Genome-wide analysis of G-quadruplex in Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a globally distributed lepidopteran crop pest that has developed resistance to most insecticides. The G-quadruplex (G4) is a secondary structure in the genome enriched in the promoters for regulating gene expression. However, little is known about G4 in S. frugiperda, especially whether G4 is involved in insecticide resistance and pest control. In this study, 387,875 G4 motifs in the whole genome of S. frugiperda were identified by bioinformatics prediction. We found that 66.90 % of theseG4 structures were located in genic regions and highly enriched in the upstream regions of start codons. Functional and pathway analyses showed that the genes with G4 enriched in promoter regions participate in several metabolic processes. Further analyses showed that G4 structures occurred more frequently in the promoters of P450 and CarE gene families. It was also investigated that G4 ligand N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) decreased P450 protein activity in larval midgut tissue. Cytotoxicity and bioassay results revealed that NMM and pesticides had syn-ergistic effects on toxicity. In conclusion, our findings suggest that G4 motif could be a new potential target for pest control.

Automated summary

In this study, G-quadruplex (G4) motifs were identified in the genome of Spodoptera frugiperda, and it was found that they were enriched in genic regions, particularly in the upstream regions of start codons. The G4 structures were more frequently present in the promoters of P450 and CarE gene families. Furthermore, the G4 ligand N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) was shown to decrease P450 protein activity in larval midgut tissue, and it had synergistic effects with pesticides on toxicity. These findings suggest that G4 motifs could serve as a potential target for pest control.