TcRtv prevents chitinase-mediated degradation of procuticular chitin.
(A) Quantitative analysis of total chitin content of pharate adult insects after dsRNA treatment for TcVer, TcRtv, TcRtv+TcCht-5 and TcCht-5 was performed using a modified Morgan-Elson assay (n = 5). Chitin depletion resulting from TcRtv RNAi was rescued following double RNAi for both TcRtv and TcCht-5. Data are reported as mean ± SE (n = 5 each). Statistical significance was computed with Student's t-test. Means identified by different letters (a and b) are significantly different at P<0.05. (B) Immunohistochemical analysis of TcVer, TcRtv, TcRtv+TcCht-5 and TcCht-5 dsRNA-treated insects revealed rescue of the chitin level upon co-knockdown of TcRtv and TcCht5 (dsTcRtv+dsTcCht-5). Chitin (red), TcRtv (green), DAPI (blue), C, cuticle; E, epithelial cell. Scale bar = 5 µm.