A novel lethal cuticular structural protein, AaCPR100A and its upstream interaction protein, G12-like, function in cuticle and egg shell formation in the yellow fever mosquito,Aedes aegypti

AaCPR100A is a structural protein, found in the soft cuticle ofAe. Aegypti. RNAi ofAaCPR100Aresulted in high mortality inAe. Aegyptiand abnormal egg development in the surviving mosquitoes. Over thirty proteins that could interact with AaCPR100A were screened out by yeast two-hybrid assay, and subsequently, further verification by hybrid and GST pull-down assays identified that G12-like had the strongest interaction with AaCPR100A. RNAi ofG12-likesuggested it may be related to larva development. Interestingly, the adults in which theG12-likegenewasknocked down were sensitive to low temperature, and their egg shell formation, production, and hatching were affected.G12-likehas the opposite effect in the upstream expression ofAaCPR100A, promotingAaCPR100Afunction in the larval stage and inhibitingAaCPR100Ain the adult stage. In all, functional studies of AaCPR100A and its interaction protein G12-like provide insight into its involvement in cuticle development and formation and egg shell formation.