Histone Deacetylases Are Required for Female Reproduction and Embryonic Development in the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of proteins that remove acetyl groups from lysine residues on histone proteins. They play vital roles in development, biological processes, and epigenetic regulation. We identified 12 HDAC genes in the adult red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, and studied their functions in female reproduction and embryonic development using RNA interference (RNAi). Knockdown of four out of 12 genes (HDAC4, HDAC6, HDAC8, and Sirt7) caused a significant decrease in the number of eggs laid by females compared to control females injected with dsGFP. Additionally, reduction in the expression of five out of 12 genes (HDAC1, HDAC4, HDAC8, Sirt1, and Sirt7) significantly reduced egg hatching rates. Parental RNAi targeting HDAC8, Sirt1, and Sirt7 disrupted embryonic development. The mRNA levels of Vg1, Vg2, VgR, Kr-h1, and E75 decreased significantly in beetles injected with HDAC4 or Sir7 dsRNA. These results suggest that HDACs are required for female reproduction and embryonic development of T. castaneum.