Fig. 6. TcBR-C upregulation by methoprene requires TcMet. (A) Tribolium pupae aged up to 1 hour after ecdysis were briefly dipped into 0.3 mM methoprene or its solvent (-) and tested (3-4 pupae per sample) for TcBR-C mRNA expression at the indicated times (adults normally emerge after 108-120 hours). Although TcBR-C expression in control pupae was low, similar to that in intact pupae of corresponding age (see Fig. 1C), it was markedly induced by methoprene. (B) Methoprene blocks adult development and its lethal effect is averted by TcMet knockdown (Konopova and Jindra, 2007). Early prepupae were injected either with egfp or TcMet dsRNA, and within four hours after pupal ecdysis were treated with methoprene or acetone. Shown are examples of TcBR-C mRNA expression in individual pupae aged 48 and 96 hours. Note that methoprene did not induce TcBR-C in TcMet(RNAi) pupae. Similar results were obtained with all examined pupae (at least eight for each treatment), aged either 48, 72 or 96 hours.