NHA1 is a cation/proton antiporter essential for the water-conserving functions of the rectal complex in Tribolium castaneum.

ABSTRACT: More than half of all extant metazoan species on earth are insects. The evolutionary success of insects is linked with their ability to osmoregulate, suggesting that they have evolved unique physiological mechanisms to maintain water balance. In beetles (Coleoptera)-the largest group of insects-a specialized rectal ("cryptonephridial") complex has evolved that recovers water from the rectum destined for excretion and recycles it back to the body. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the remarkable water-conserving functions of this system are unknown. Here, we introduce a transcriptomic resource, BeetleAtlas.org, for the exceptionally desiccation-tolerant red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, and demonstrate its utility by identifying a cation/H⁺ antiporter (NHA

SUBMITTER: Naseem MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10068851 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature