Fig. 1.
Cuticle pigmentation phenotypes resulting from KD of tyrosine pathway genes. a) Schematic representation of pigmentation pathways and Rhodnius prolixus loci associated with cuticle color. Loci herein investigated are shown in italic and red brown color. PAH, phenylalanine hydroxylase; TH, tyrosine hydroxylase; DDC, DOPA decarboxylase; PO, phenoloxidase; KF, kynurenine formamidase. b) Viability of adult animals injected with dsRNA. No significant differences between experimental conditions vs control were observed. Graph shows mean ± STD. The number of fifth instar nymphs injected is displayed inside the bars. c–f) Control (c, c′) and cuticle phenotypes resulting from KD for y (d, d′) t (e, e′), and aaNATpret (f, f′). c′–f′) High magnification of (c–f) showing details of the 3-color pattern of the R. prolixus first thoracic segment in control and KD animals. g) Cuticle darkness as quantified for black (bl), tanned (tan), and white (wh) stripes or the corresponding positions in the thorax for the different KDs. Graph shows mean ± SEM. **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001, Student’s t-test. h) KD efficiency for the different KDs, with expression levels for yellow, tan, and ebony, as defined by RT-qPCR. Expression levels were normalized to control dsGFP-injected animals with R. prolixus EF1α. Graphs show mean ± SEM (n = 3). *P < 0.1, **P < 0.01, 1-way ANOVA.