Rab3, a member of the Rab GTPase family, has been found. to be involved in Innate immunity. However, the precise function of this GTPase in innate immunity remains unknown. In this study, we identified a Rab3 gene (Ha-Rab3) from the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera and studied its roles in innate immune responses. Expression of Ha-Rab3 was upregulated in the hemocytes of H. armigera larvae after the injection of Escherichia coil or chromatography beads. The dsRNA-mediated knockdown of Ha-Rab3 gene in H. armigera larval hemocytes led to significant reduction in the phagocytosis and nodulat...
