Expression pattern of AMP genes in <i>T</i>. <i>molitor</i>.

(A) Mediation of AMP genes expression via SPE upon E. mundtii challenge (B) Mediation of AMP genes expression via SPE upon rDSP1 challenge. For AMP genes expression upon bacterial challenge, E. mundtii were dissolved in PBS (‘Em’, 1.8 × 105 cells/larva) and for rDSP1 challenge, purified rDSP1 (0.6 μg/larva) was injected into L6 larva. For analysing expression of Attachin1a (‘Att1a’), Attachin2 (‘Att2’), Cecropin2 (‘Cec2’), Coleoptericin1 (‘Col1’), Defensin1 (‘Def1’), Defensin2 (‘Def2’), Tenesin1 (‘Ten1’) and Tenesin3 (‘Ten3’) AMP genes, whole body samples were collected after 8 h of bacterial or rDSP1 challenge for RNA extraction. For knockdown of Tm-SPE gene, dsRNA specific to Tm-SPE was injected 24 h before E. mundtii or rDSP1 injection. For control, dsRNA made from a viral gene (CpBV302) was injected. Each treatment was replicated three times with independent tissue preparations. Different letters above the bar indicate significant differences among means at Type I error = 0.05 (LSD test).