A Sex specific homologue of snake Waprin is essential for Embryonic Development in the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum

1.Waprin, an extracellular secretory protein, is widely known for its antibacterial activity. Through the analysis of sex-specific transcriptomes of adult Tribolium castaneum, we identified a homologue of snake waprin (Tc_WapF) with significantly higher level of its transcripts in females. Developmental- and tissue-specific profiling revealed the widespread expression of Tc_WapF in adult female tissues. Interestingly, Tc_WapF expression is not regulated by the classical sex-determination cascade of T. castaneum, as we fail to get any attenuation in Tc_WapF transcript levels in Tcdsx and Tctra (key players of sex determination cascade of T. castaneum) knockdown females. The eggs laid by Tc_WapF knockdown females never hatched, indicating the involvement of Tc_WapF in the embryonic development in T. castaneum. This is the first report of identification a sex-specific waprin homologue in an insect and its involvement as a novel candidate in the embryonic development. Future investigations on the functional conservation of insect waprins and their mechanistic role in embryonic development can be exploited for improving pest management strategies. Summary statementTribolium castaneum possesses a female-specific homologue of snake Waprin (Tc_WapF) which is essential for its embryonic development. Expression of Tc_WapF is independent of Tribolium sex-determination cascade.