The insulin receptor substrate (IRS), as the core cytoplasmic adapter protein in the insulin/insulin-like signaling (IIS) pathway, is an important mediator of cellular signaling. However, it is still unknown how IRS crosstalk with hormone signaling regulates insect growth, development, and reproduction. In this study, we demonstrated that knockdown of IRS1 significantly inhibited oogenesis, vitellogenesis, and the development of nurse cells and follicular epithelial cells. In addition, qRT-PCR results showed that FOXO transcription factors significantly responded to silencing of the IRS1 gene. However, IRS1 silencing had no significant effect on the expression of juvenile hormone/20-hydroxyecdysone (JH/20E)-signaling genes, JH synthesis, and degradation enzyme-related genes and the JH/20E titers. Our results suggested that the IIS pathway regulated ovarian development and Vg production through FOXO, independent of JH and 20E signaling pathways. This study revealed the reproductive regulation mechanism in Propylea japonica, which provides a theoretical basis for large-scale expansion of P. japonica as an environment-friendly biological control strategy.
Keywords: Propylea japonica; insulin receptor substrate; insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway; vitellogenesis.