Differentiation of Long Non-Coding RNA and mRNA Expression Profiles in Male and Female Aedes albopictus

Abstract

The Asia tiger mosquito (<i>Aedes albopictus</i>) is an important vector of arboviruses, and females can transmit pathogens such as the dengue, zika, and chikungunya viruses. Understanding sex-related differences in this mosquito is fundamental for vector control. However, there are no reports of systematic characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in male and female <i>Ae. albopictus</i>. To investigate the roles of coding and non-coding RNAs in both sexes of <i>Ae. albopictus</i>, RNA sequencing was performed on male and female samples. The results showed 305 differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DEGs) between males and females, of which 198 were highly expressed in males and 125 were highly expressed in females. Sex-associated gene ontology terms were enriched. Analysis with the FEELnc software identified 2,623 novel lncRNAs, of which 26 showed male high expression and 11 showed female high expression. Quantitative real-time PCR of randomly selected DEGs and lncRNAs supported the validity of the RNA sequencing results. Knocking down male high-expressed gene AALF000433 in male adults reduced the egg hatching rate. This study provides valuable data on sex-specific expression of protein-coding genes and lncRNAs in adult <i>Ae. albopictus</i>, which will guide further studies aimed at understanding sex development and determination mechanisms in this species.