Sexually dimorphic traits are prevalent throughout the animal kingdom, extending to insects. In addition to sex-biased gene expression networks, these traits often involve variations in hormone levels. Juvenile hormone (JH), which is synthesized by corpora allata (CA), regulates development and reproduction in insects. However, there is limited understanding regarding sex-biased gene expression in CA and the sexually dimorphic functions of JH. We discovered sexual dimorphism in JH levels in cockroaches. To explore the underlying mechanism, we analyzed RNA-sequencing data from CA tissues in the adult females and males of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Our investigation revealed significant variation in sex-biased gene expression, with female-biased genes primarily involved in cytochrome P450, glutathione S-transferase and peroxidase pathways, associating with resistance to environmental stress. Notably, exposure to the insecticide imidacloprid, injection of Escherichia coli and H₂O₂ led to a higher mortality rate in males, whereas females exhibited resistance. Importantly, the application of the JH analog methoprene following the injection of E. coli and H₂O₂ rescued survival and the expression of stress response-related genes in males. Furthermore, these stressors resulted in reduced JH biosynthesis in males, while females remained unaffected. In summary, our results reveal that sexually dimorphic JH levels and gene expression modulate stress responses in P. americana. These findings shed light on sex-specific responses to environmental stress, offering tailored strategies for pest control based on gender.

性二态性特征在整个动物界普遍存在，昆虫也同样如此。除了性别偏见的基因表达网络之外，这些性状通常还涉及激​​素水平的变化。保幼激素（JH）由幼体（CA）合成，调节昆虫的发育和繁殖。然而，对于 CA 中性别偏向的基因表达和 JH 的性别二态性功能的了解有限。我们发现蟑螂的 JH 水平存在性别二态性。为了探索其潜在机制，我们分析了美洲大蠊成年雌性和雄性 CA 组织的 RNA 测序数据。我们的研究揭示了性别偏向基因表达的显着差异，其中女性偏向基因主要涉及细胞色素P450、谷胱甘肽S-转移酶和过氧化物酶途径，与对环境压力的抵抗力相关。值得注意的是，接触杀虫剂吡虫啉、注射大肠杆菌和 H ₂ O ₂ 导致雄性死亡率较高，而雌性则表现出抗药性。重要的是，在注射大肠杆菌和 H ₂ O ₂ 后应用 JH 类似物甲氧普林挽救了雄性的存活和应激反应相关基因的表达。此外，这些压力源导致雄性 JH 生物合成减少，而雌性则不受影响。总之，我们的结果揭示了性二态性 JH 水平和基因表达调节美洲对虾的应激反应。这些发现揭示了不同性别对环境压力的反应，为基于性别的害虫防治提供了量身定制的策略。