Identification of endoplasmic reticulum proteins in the fat body of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera:Chrysomelidae) in relation to diapause

Hibernation diapause is a physiologically dormant stage to overcome freezing temperatures and long‐term food deprivation in winter. Failure in the diapause program or incomplete diapause might lead to death, making diapause to be considered also a stressful condition. The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a major pest of potato and undergo hibernation diapause at the adult stage to overcome winter conditions, followed by emergence from the soil in spring. Lipids are the major source to complete diapause successfully and are metabolized in the fat body, an analogous tissue to vertebrate liver and adipose tissue. Diapause itself does not require much energy consumption; however, post‐diapause is the critical phase requiring energy supply and lipolytic activity. Although several studies have focused on the lipid metabolism in relation to diapause in L. decemlineata; the knowledge on the specific protein residents of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is involved in the synthesis and modification of lipids and key proteins, is poor. In the current study, we analyzed the protein residents of ER through a quantitative proteomics approach in L. decemlineata adults emerged from hibernation in comparison to actively feeding adults. A total of 2631 fat body proteins were identified both from actively feeding and post-diapausing beetles with 517 proteins being significantly upregulated by post-diapause. Organelle dynamics in particular related to ER might be a critical aspect of the diapause program, which requires further research.
This research was supported by TÜBİTAK (Grant #:118O976).

Keywords: Endoplasmic reticulum, quantitative proteomics, diapause, Colorado potato beetle