2. Behavioral Biology TALKS - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

�122 Gunnar Broehan A 704 / 16:45
Functional Analysis of the ATP-binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Gene Family of
Tribolium castaneum
Authors: Gunnar Broehan 1 , Tobias Kröger 1 , Marcé Lorenzen 2 , Hans Merzendorfer 1
Affiliation: 1 University of Osnabrück; 2 North Carolina State University
The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters belong to a large superfamily of proteins
that have important physiological functions in all living animals. Most of them are
integral membrane proteins that transport a broad spectrum of substrates across
lipid membranes. In insects, ABC transporters raised special interest due to their role
in insecticide resistance. We have identified 73 genes in the genome of the red flour
beetle, Tribolium castaneum, which group into eight different subfamilies (ABCA-H).
The gene family in T. castaneum is significantly larger than reported for insects
belonging to other taxonomic groups. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this high
number of genes is due to gene expansion in one clade of subfamily ABCC. We
further performed RNA interference (RNAi) screening to study the function of ABC
transporters during the development of T. castaneum. In seven cases, injection of
double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into larvae caused developmental phenotypes, which
included eye pigmentation defects, abnormal cuticle formation, egg laying and
hatching defects, and lethality due to abortive molting and desiccation. Some of the
ABC transporters we studied in closer detail, to examine their physiological role in
lipid, ecdysteroid and transport of eye pigment precursor. The results from our study
provide new insights into the physiological function of some ABC transporters in T.
castaneum, which may help to establish new target sites for insect control.
15. Physiology POSTERS
����176 Victoria Diedrich
Spring fever in Djungarian hamsters is not triggered by the uptake of 6-Methoxy-2benzoxazolinone
Authors: Victoria Diedrich 1 , Frank Scherbarth 1 , Susanne Jähnig 1 , Sabine Kastens 1 ,
Stephan Steinlechner 1
Affiliation: 1 Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Seasonal breeding is an important adaptational trait in annually changing
environments. The most important external cue enabling an accurate prediction of
the beginning of the reproductive season in spring is the annual cycle of day length.
However, other factors may also serve as predictors for favourable breeding
conditions. The secondary plant metabolite 6-Methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (6-MBOA),
occurring in newly growing plant parts, was found to stimulate gonadal growth and
to induce spring fever in several rodent species. In order to investigate the potential
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