Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Following LmRab11A Knockdown Reveals Its Role in Metabolic Regulation and Molting in Locusta migratoria

Abstract

Rab proteins are key members of the Ras superfamily that regulate vesicular trafficking in eukaryotic cells, ensuring accurate cargo transport and cellular homeostasis. To investigate the functional role of Rab proteins, RNA interference (RNAi) was employed to silence LmRab11A in Locusta migratoria, followed by integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Transcriptomic profiling identified 54 downregulated and 71 upregulated genes upon LmRab11A knockdown. Based on Log2 fold change values and statistical significance, 15 downregulated genes were selected for further analysis. RT-qPCR validation confirmed that 9 of these genes were significantly downregulated following LmRab11A silencing. Subsequent RNAi-mediated knockdown of these 9 genes revealed that silencing of only LOCMI11062 (β-tubulin) resulted in 100% mortality and severe morphological defects in locust nymphs, indicating its critical role in development. Metabolomic analysis identified 11 significantly altered metabolites, including 8 exhibiting increased abundance and 3 exhibiting decreased abundance. Spearman correlation analysis between the 9 downregulated genes and the altered metabolites suggested potential associations between 6 metabolites and specific genes. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that suppression of LmRab11A disrupts downstream gene expression and alters the metabolite network, thereby impairing growth and development.