Expression Profiling and Functional Analysis of Heat Shock Protein Genes in Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) under Temperature Stress

Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle, an invasive pest threatening eucalyptus cultivation worldwide, exhibits remarkable temperature adaptability. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been proven to exert a pivotal role in the temperature stress response of insects. However, investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of L. invasa HSPs to temperature stress remain relatively scarce. In this research, we methodically scrutinized the relative expression levels of 10 HSP genes from the Hsp20, Hsp70, and Hsp90 gene families in adult females and males of L. invasa under various temperature conditions (0, 25, and 40°C) and treatment durations (1, 3, and 5 h) using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactions. With 25°C as the control temperature, we discerned distinct expression patterns of these HSP genes under 40 and 0°C stress, accompanied by significant sex-specific disparities. Our study further demonstrated that female adults primarily depended on LiHsp20-3 expression to resist thermal stresses, whereas male adults predominantly modulated LiHsp20-1 and LiHsp20-2 at 40°C and LiHsp90-2 at 0°C. These findings highlight the role of HSPs in the response of L. invasa to thermal stress and offer a theoretical foundation for explaining the pest's temperature adaptation.