Cockroach DNA reveals mighty little secrets

Cockroach DNA reveals mighty little secrets

Context

Genome sequencing may throw light on the insect’s ability to heal itself in the most harshest of environments

American Cockroach

The American cockroach is the largest common house cockroach, about the length of a AA battery. Also called the water bug, it can live for a week without its head. It eats just about anything, including faeces, the glue on book bindings, and other cockroaches, dead or alive

American cockroach’s genome

  • All these feats and more are encoded in the American cockroach’s genome
  • The complete set of genetic instructions was sequenced by Chinese scientists and published this week in Nature Communications
  • They annotated thousands of genes, including more than 1,000 thought to help the insect detect chemical cues from the environment.
  • Genes for taste:Among these are more than 300 genes associated with perceiving bitter tastes, which could help them decide which foods are safe.
  • Identified Genes that have damaging effect: The scientists also interfered with more than 20 genes thought to be related to immunity, reproduction and development, and found that doing so had damaging effects on the cockroaches.
    • Genes such as these are promising targets for future pest control methods

German cockroach

While the German cockroach only inhabits human environments (particularly kitchens), the American cockroach flourishes in a wide range of habitats.

Repertoire of proteins

Cockroaches need eyes, sugar receptors, ways to survive nasty environments

As a result, “cockroaches have to have a very large repertoire of proteins, and therefore a lot of genes,”

Eusociality

In terms of basic biology, comparing the genomes of primitive cockroaches and termites — which evolved from cockroaches — will allow scientists to learn more about eusociality, a rare phenomenon in which organisms cooperate through sophisticated division of labout

Medical applications

  • The team is identifying the proteins and pathways involved in the regeneration process in cockroaches, with the hope that they can be harnessed for medical treatments.
  • Cockroach extract has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to speed healing on cuts and burns.
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