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 of Ae. Aegypti. RNAi of AaCPR100A resulted in high mortality in Ae. Aegypti and 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 of G12-like suggested it may be related to larva development. Interestingly, the adults in which the G12-like gene was knocked down were sensitive to low temperature, and their egg shell formation, production, and hatching were affected. G12-like has the opposite effect in the upstream expression of AaCPR100A, promoting AaCPR100A function in the larval stage and inhibiting AaCPR100A in 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.