Figure 6.

Effects of AeAmt2 dsRNA treatment on AeAmt2 abundance in the anal papillae, ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$ excretion from the anal papillae, and ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$ concentration in the hemolymph. (A) Representative Western blots (1 representative of 3 replicates) and densitometric analysis of AeAmt2 (55 kDa) in the anal papillae on days 2–4 following dsRNA treatment. Each group was normalized to Coomassie total protein staining, used as a loading control, and is expressed relative to the β-lac control group (assigned a value of 1, n = 3). Asterisk denotes a significant difference in normalized protein expression compared to the β-lac control group based on an unpaired one-tailed t-test of relative density (p = 0.0491). (B) Scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET) measurements of ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$ flux across the anal papillae epithelium 2 days post β-lac and AeAmt2 dsRNA treatment (n = 10). Asterisk denotes a significant difference in ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$ efflux compared to the β-lac control group based on an unpaired t-test (p = 0.0125). (C) Ion-selective microelectrode measurements of ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$ concentration in the hemolymph of larvae at 2 days post β-lac and AeAmt2 dsRNA treatment (n = 10). Data is shown as mean values ± SEM.