Cloning, molecular characterization and tissue exPression of an octoPamine/tyramine recePtor from sPotted wing drosoPhila (DROSOPHILA SUZUKII)

Spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a polyphagous pest arrived in Europe in 2009 able to infest a growing number of fruit and vine species, causing considerable economic damage. D. suzukii grows very rapidly (seven to fifteen generations per year) and shows a remarkable ability to adapt to climatic conditions and to new host plants. These characteristics make its populations particularly difficult to control. Octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA) biogenic amines are present in traces in vertebrates, while in invertebrates they act as substitutes for adrenaline and noradrenaline. Indeed, these amines regulate numerous physiological processes in insects. They exert their effects by binding to specific receptor proteins that belong to the superfamily of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this work, we have isolated complementary DNA (cDNA) coding for an amine receptor from Drosophila suzukii (DsTyr). The cloned cDNA is about 1.8kb long and encodes for a 601 amino acids protein. This polypeptide presents the classical seven transmembrane domains as revealed by hydropathic profile analysis. BLAST analysis of the sequence shows a high identity (>98%) to the octopamine/tyramine receptor from Drosophila melanogaster. DsTyr1 deduced sequence will be compared to the amino acid sequence of octopamine/tyramine receptors from other insects. Furthermore, the various receptor sequences will be characterized by phylogenetic analysis. The expression level of the receptor will be studied by qRT-PCR analysis in different parts of D. suzukii male and female body (head, thorax and abdomen). With this work, we present a first structural and functional description of an octopamine/tyramine receptor from Drosophila suzukii.