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Nie W, Wang Y, Tian X, Liu J, Jin Z, Xu J, He M, Shen Q, Guo H, Luan T. Cucurbitacin B and Its Derivatives: A Review of Progress in Biological Activities. Molecules 2024; 29:4193. [PMID: 39275042 PMCID: PMC11397067 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29174193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2024] [Revised: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of natural products has provided extremely valuable references for the treatment of various diseases. Cucurbitacin B, a tetracyclic triterpenoid compound isolated from cucurbitaceae and other plants, is the most abundant member of the cucurbitin family and exhibits a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and even agricultural applications. Due to its high toxicity and narrow therapeutic window, structural modification and dosage form development are necessary to address these issues with cucurbitacin B. This paper reviews recent research progress in the pharmacological action, structural modification, and application of cucurbitacin B. This review aims to enhance understanding of advancements in this field and provide constructive suggestions for further research on cucurbitacin B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhe Nie
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Yalan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Xinlu Tian
- Department of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110034, China
| | - Jinying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Zhanhui Jin
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Junjie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Miaohai He
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Qingkun Shen
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China
| | - Tian Luan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110034, China
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Gu SH, Lin PL, Chang CH. Expressions of sugar transporters/trehalases in relation to PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 157:104672. [PMID: 38981575 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
The prothoracic gland (PG) is the source of ecdysteoids in larval insects. Although numerous studies have been conducted on signaling networks involved in prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH)-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in PGs, less is known about regulation of metabolism in PGs. In the present study, we investigated correlations between expressions of sugar transporter (St)/trehalase (Treh) genes and PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in Bombyx mori PGs. Our results showed that in vitro PTTH treatment stimulated expression of the St1 gene, but not other transporter genes. Expression of the Treh1 gene was also stimulated by PTTH treatment. An immunoblotting analysis showed that St1 protein levels in Bombyx PGs increased during the later stage of the last larval instar and were not affect by PTTH treatment. PTTH treatment enhanced Treh enzyme activity in a time-dependent manner. Blocking either extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling with U0126 or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling with LY294002 decreased PTTH-stimulated Treh enzyme activity, indicating a link from the ERK and PI3K signaling pathways to Treh activity. Treatment with the Treh inhibitor, validamycin A, blocked PTTH-stimulated Treh enzyme activity and partially inhibited PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis. Treatment with either a sugar transport inhibitor (cytochalasin B) or a specific glycolysis inhibitor (2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-DG) partially inhibited PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis. Taken together, these results indicate that increased expressions of St1/Treh1 and Treh activity, which lie downstream of PTTH signaling, are involved in PTTH stimulation in B. mori PGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Hong Gu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Pei-Ling Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Hao Chang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, ROC
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3
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Campli G, Volovych O, Kim K, Veldsman WP, Drage HB, Sheizaf I, Lynch S, Chipman AD, Daley AC, Robinson-Rechavi M, Waterhouse RM. The moulting arthropod: a complete genetic toolkit review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39039636 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Exoskeletons are a defining character of all arthropods that provide physical support for their segmented bodies and appendages as well as protection from the environment and predation. This ubiquitous yet evolutionarily variable feature has been instrumental in facilitating the adoption of a variety of lifestyles and the exploitation of ecological niches across all environments. Throughout the radiation that produced the more than one million described modern species, adaptability afforded by segmentation and exoskeletons has led to a diversity that is unrivalled amongst animals. However, because of the limited extensibility of exoskeleton chitin and cuticle components, they must be periodically shed and replaced with new larger ones, notably to accommodate the growing individuals encased within. Therefore, arthropods grow discontinuously by undergoing periodic moulting events, which follow a series of steps from the preparatory pre-moult phase to ecdysis itself and post-moult maturation of new exoskeletons. Each event represents a particularly vulnerable period in an arthropod's life cycle, so processes must be tightly regulated and meticulously executed to ensure successful transitions for normal growth and development. Decades of research in representative arthropods provide a foundation of understanding of the mechanisms involved. Building on this, studies continue to develop and test hypotheses on the presence and function of molecular components, including neuropeptides, hormones, and receptors, as well as the so-called early, late, and fate genes, across arthropod diversity. Here, we review the literature to develop a comprehensive overview of the status of accumulated knowledge of the genetic toolkit governing arthropod moulting. From biosynthesis and regulation of ecdysteroid and sesquiterpenoid hormones, to factors involved in hormonal stimulation responses and exoskeleton remodelling, we identify commonalities and differences, as well as highlighting major knowledge gaps, across arthropod groups. We examine the available evidence supporting current models of how components operate together to prepare for, execute, and recover from ecdysis, comparing reports from Chelicerata, Myriapoda, Crustacea, and Hexapoda. Evidence is generally highly taxonomically imbalanced, with most reports based on insect study systems. Biases are also evident in research on different moulting phases and processes, with the early triggers and late effectors generally being the least well explored. Our synthesis contrasts knowledge based on reported observations with reasonably plausible assumptions given current taxonomic sampling, and exposes weak assumptions or major gaps that need addressing. Encouragingly, advances in genomics are driving a diversification of tractable study systems by facilitating the cataloguing of putative genetic toolkits in previously under-explored taxa. Analysis of genome and transcriptome data supported by experimental investigations have validated the presence of an "ultra-conserved" core of arthropod genes involved in moulting processes. The molecular machinery has likely evolved with elaborations on this conserved pathway backbone, but more taxonomic exploration is needed to characterise lineage-specific changes and novelties. Furthermore, linking these to transformative innovations in moulting processes across Arthropoda remains hampered by knowledge gaps and hypotheses based on untested assumptions. Promisingly however, emerging from the synthesis is a framework that highlights research avenues from the underlying genetics to the dynamic molecular biology through to the complex physiology of moulting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Campli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Olga Volovych
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Kenneth Kim
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Werner P Veldsman
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Harriet B Drage
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Bâtiment Géopolis, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Idan Sheizaf
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Sinéad Lynch
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Bâtiment Géopolis, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Ariel D Chipman
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Allison C Daley
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Bâtiment Géopolis, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
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Takahashi-Nakaguchi A, Horiuchi Y, Yamamoto M, Totsuka Y, Wakabayashi K. Pierisin, Cytotoxic and Apoptosis-Inducing DNA ADP-Ribosylating Protein in Cabbage Butterfly. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:270. [PMID: 38922164 PMCID: PMC11209040 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Pierisin-1 was serendipitously discovered as a strong cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing protein from pupae of the cabbage butterfly Pieris rapae against cancer cell lines. This 98-kDa protein consists of the N-terminal region (27 kDa) and C-terminal region (71 kDa), and analysis of their biological function revealed that pierisin-1 binds to cell surface glycosphingolipids on the C-terminal side, is taken up into the cell, and is cleaved to N- and C-terminal portions, where the N-terminal portion mono-ADP-ribosylates the guanine base of DNA in the presence of NAD to induce cellular genetic mutation and apoptosis. Unlike other ADP-ribosyltransferases, pieisin-1 was first found to exhibit DNA mono-ADP-ribosylating activity and show anti-cancer activity in vitro and in vivo against various cancer cell lines. Pierisin-1 was most abundantly produced during the transition from the final larval stage to the pupal stage of the cabbage butterfly, and this production was regulated by ecdysteroid hormones. This suggests that pierisn-1 might play a pivotal role in the process of metamorphosis. Moreover, pierisin-1 could contribute as a defense factor against parasitization and microbial infections in the cabbage butterfly. Pierisin-like proteins in butterflies were shown to be present not only among the subtribe Pierina but also among the subtribes Aporiina and Appiadina, and pierisin-2, -3, and -4 were identified in these butterflies. Furthermore, DNA ADP-ribosylating activities were found in six different edible clams. Understanding of the biological nature of pierisin-1 with DNA mono-ADP-ribosylating activity could open up exciting avenues for research and potential therapeutic applications, making it a subject of great interest in the field of molecular biology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yu Horiuchi
- Aquatic Food Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute, Tokyo Innovation Center, Nissui Corporation, 1-32-3 Shichikoku, Hachioji City 192-0991, Japan
| | - Masafumi Yamamoto
- Central Institute for Experimental Medicine and Life Science, 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
| | - Yukari Totsuka
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Keiji Wakabayashi
- Graduate Division of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
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Šťastná K, Musdal Y, Ismail A, Ebihara K, Niwa R, Mannervik B. Supreme glutathione-dependent ketosteroid isomerase in the yellow-fever transmitting mosquito Aedes aegypti. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 711:149914. [PMID: 38608434 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The steroid hormone ecdysone is essential for the reproduction and survival of insects. The hormone is synthesized from dietary sterols such as cholesterol, yielding ecdysone in a series of consecutive enzymatic reactions. In the insect orders Lepidoptera and Diptera a glutathione transferase called Noppera-bo (Nobo) plays an essential, but biochemically uncharacterized, role in ecdysteroid biosynthesis. The Nobo enzyme is consequently a possible target in harmful dipterans, such as disease-carrying mosquitoes. Flavonoid compounds inhibit Nobo and have larvicidal effects in the yellow-fever transmitting mosquito Aedes aegypti, but the enzyme is functionally incompletely characterized. We here report that within a set of glutathione transferase substrates the double-bond isomerase activity with 5-androsten-3,17-dione stands out with an extraordinary specific activity of 4000 μmol min-1 mg-1. We suggest that the authentic function of Nobo is catalysis of a chemically analogous ketosteroid isomerization in ecdysone biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Šťastná
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden
| | - Yaman Musdal
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden; Department of Pediatric Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06230, Turkey
| | - Aram Ismail
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden
| | - Kana Ebihara
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8572, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Bengt Mannervik
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden; Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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6
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Leyria J. Endocrine factors modulating vitellogenesis and oogenesis in insects: An update. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 587:112211. [PMID: 38494046 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The endocrine system plays a pivotal role in shaping the mechanisms that ensure successful reproduction. With over a million known insect species, understanding the endocrine control of reproduction has become increasingly complex. Some of the key players include the classic insect lipid hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, and neuropeptides such as insulin-like peptides (ILPs). Individual endocrine factors not only modulate their own target tissue but also play crucial roles in crosstalk among themselves, ensuring successful vitellogenesis and oogenesis. Recent advances in omics, gene silencing, and genome editing approaches have accelerated research, offering both fundamental insights and practical applications for studying in-depth endocrine signaling pathways. This review provides an updated and integrated view of endocrine factors modulating vitellogenesis and oogenesis in insect females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Leyria
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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7
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Dai M, Jiang Z, Li F, Wei J, Li B. A parasitoid regulates 20E synthesis and antibacterial activity of the host for development by inducing host nitric oxide production. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 33:206-217. [PMID: 38180144 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Parasitoids are important components of the natural enemy guild in the biological control of insect pests. They depend on host resources to complete the development of a specific stage or whole life cycle and thus have evolved towards optimal host exploitation strategies. In the present study, we report a specific survival strategy of a fly parasitoid Exorista sorbillans (Diptera: Tachinidae), which is a potential biological control agent for agricultural pests and a pest in sericulture. We found that the expression levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and nitric oxide (NO) production in host Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) were increased after E. sorbillans infection. Reducing NOS expression and NO production with an NOS inhibitor (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride) in infected B. mori significantly impeded the growth of E. sorbillans larvae. Moreover, the biosynthesis of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in infected hosts was elevated with increasing NO production, and inhibiting NOS expression lowered 20E biosynthesis. More importantly, induced NO synthesis was required to eliminate intracellular bacterial pathogens that presumably competed for shared host resources. Inhibiting NOS expression down-regulated the transcription of antimicrobial peptide genes and increased the number of bacteria in parasitized hosts. Collectively, this study revealed a new perspective on the role of NO in host-parasitoid interactions and a novel mechanism for parasitoid regulation of host physiology to support its development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minli Dai
- School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhe Jiang
- School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fanchi Li
- School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Sericulture Institute of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Wei
- School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Sericulture Institute of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bing Li
- School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Sericulture Institute of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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Soltani S, Webb SM, Kroll T, King-Jones K. Drosophila Evi5 is a critical regulator of intracellular iron transport via transferrin and ferritin interactions. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4045. [PMID: 38744835 PMCID: PMC11094094 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48165-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Vesicular transport is essential for delivering cargo to intracellular destinations. Evi5 is a Rab11-GTPase-activating protein involved in endosome recycling. In humans, Evi5 is a high-risk locus for multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease that also presents with excess iron in the CNS. In insects, the prothoracic gland (PG) requires entry of extracellular iron to synthesize steroidogenic enzyme cofactors. The mechanism of peripheral iron uptake in insect cells remains controversial. We show that Evi5-depletion in the Drosophila PG affected vesicle morphology and density, blocked endosome recycling and impaired trafficking of transferrin-1, thus disrupting heme synthesis due to reduced cellular iron concentrations. We show that ferritin delivers iron to the PG as well, and interacts physically with Evi5. Further, ferritin-injection rescued developmental delays associated with Evi5-depletion. To summarize, our findings show that Evi5 is critical for intracellular iron trafficking via transferrin-1 and ferritin, and implicate altered iron homeostasis in the etiology of multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sattar Soltani
- University of Alberta, Faculty of Science, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Samuel M Webb
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Thomas Kroll
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Kirst King-Jones
- University of Alberta, Faculty of Science, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada.
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Geens B, Goossens S, Li J, Van de Peer Y, Vanden Broeck J. Untangling the gordian knot: The intertwining interactions between developmental hormone signaling and epigenetic mechanisms in insects. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 585:112178. [PMID: 38342134 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Hormones control developmental and physiological processes, often by regulating the expression of multiple genes simultaneously or sequentially. Crosstalk between hormones and epigenetics is pivotal to dynamically coordinate this process. Hormonal signals can guide the addition and removal of epigenetic marks, steering gene expression. Conversely, DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs can modulate regional chromatin structure and accessibility and regulate the expression of numerous (hormone-related) genes. Here, we provide a review of the interplay between the classical insect hormones, ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones, and epigenetics. We summarize the mode-of-action and roles of these hormones in post-embryonic development, and provide a general overview of epigenetic mechanisms. We then highlight recent advances on the interactions between these hormonal pathways and epigenetics, and their involvement in development. Furthermore, we give an overview of several 'omics techniques employed in the field. Finally, we discuss which questions remain unanswered and possible avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Geens
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Stijn Goossens
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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10
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Turingan MJ, Li T, Wright J, Sharma A, Ding K, Khan S, Lee B, Grewal SS. Hypoxia delays steroid-induced developmental maturation in Drosophila by suppressing EGF signaling. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011232. [PMID: 38669270 PMCID: PMC11098494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals often grow and develop in unpredictable environments where factors like food availability, temperature, and oxygen levels can fluctuate dramatically. To ensure proper sexual maturation into adulthood, juvenile animals need to adapt their growth and developmental rates to these fluctuating environmental conditions. Failure to do so can result in impaired maturation and incorrect body size. Here we describe a mechanism by which Drosophila larvae adapt their development in low oxygen (hypoxia). During normal development, larvae grow and increase in mass until they reach critical weight (CW), after which point a neuroendocrine circuit triggers the production of the steroid hormone ecdysone from the prothoracic gland (PG), which promotes maturation to the pupal stage. However, when raised in hypoxia (5% oxygen), larvae slow their growth and delay their maturation to the pupal stage. We find that, although hypoxia delays the attainment of CW, the maturation delay occurs mainly because of hypoxia acting late in development to suppress ecdysone production. This suppression operates through a distinct mechanism from nutrient deprivation, occurs independently of HIF-1 alpha and does not involve dilp8 or modulation of Ptth, the main neuropeptide that initiates ecdysone production in the PG. Instead, we find that hypoxia lowers the expression of the EGF ligand, spitz, and that the delay in maturation occurs due to reduced EGFR/ERK signaling in the PG. Our study sheds light on how animals can adjust their development rate in response to changing oxygen levels in their environment. Given that hypoxia is a feature of both normal physiology and many diseases, our findings have important implications for understanding how low oxygen levels may impact animal development in both normal and pathological situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Turingan
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tan Li
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jenna Wright
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kate Ding
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Shahoon Khan
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Byoungchun Lee
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Savraj S. Grewal
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Vommaro ML, Donato S, Caputo S, Agostino RG, Montali A, Tettamanti G, Giglio A. Anatomical changes of Tenebrio molitor and Tribolium castaneum during complete metamorphosis. Cell Tissue Res 2024; 396:19-40. [PMID: 38409390 PMCID: PMC10997553 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-024-03877-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
In holometabolous insects, extensive reorganisation of tissues and cells occurs at the pupal stage. The remodelling of the external exoskeleton and internal organs that intervenes during metamorphosis has been traditionally studied in many insect species based on histological or ultrastructural methods. This study demonstrates the use of synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography as a powerful, non-destructive tool for in situ morphological observation of anatomical structures at the pupal stage in two Tenebrionid beetles, i.e. Tribolium castaneum and Tenebrio molitor, known as important pests, as well as emerging and promising models in experimental biology. Virtual sections and three-dimensional reconstructions were performed on both males and females at early, intermediate, and late pupal stage. The dataset allowed us to observe the remodelling of the gut and nervous system as well as the shaping of the female and male reproductive system at different pupal ages in both mealworm and red flour beetles. Moreover, we observed that the timing and duration pattern of organ development varied between the species analysed, likely related to the species-specific adaptations of the pre-imaginal stages to environmental conditions, which ultimately affect their life cycle. This research provides new knowledge on the morphological modifications that occur during the pupal stage of holometabolous insects and provides a baseline set of information on beetle metamorphosis that may support future research in forensics, physiology, and ecology as well as an image atlas for educational purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luigia Vommaro
- University of Calabria, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, Rende, Italy
| | - Sandro Donato
- University of Calabria, Department of Physics and STAR research infrastructure, Rende, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Division of Frascati, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Caputo
- University of Calabria, Department of Environmental Engineering, Rende, Italy
| | - Raffaele G Agostino
- University of Calabria, Department of Physics and STAR research infrastructure, Rende, Italy
| | - Aurora Montali
- University of Insubria, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Varese, Italy
| | - Gianluca Tettamanti
- University of Insubria, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Varese, Italy
- Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Anita Giglio
- University of Calabria, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science, Rende, Italy.
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12
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Moriya A, Otsuka K, Naoi R, Terahata M, Takeda K, Kondo S, Adachi-Yamada T. Creation of Knock-In Alleles of Insulin Receptor Tagged by Fluorescent Proteins mCherry or EYFP in Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster. Zoolog Sci 2024; 41:230-243. [PMID: 38587918 DOI: 10.2108/zs230075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The insulin/insulin-like growth factor-like signaling (IIS) pathway is highly conserved across metazoans and regulates numerous physiological functions, including development, metabolism, fecundity, and lifespan. The insulin receptor (InR), a crucial membrane receptor in the IIS pathway, is known to be ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, albeit at generally low levels, and its subcellular localization remains incompletely characterized. In this study, we employed CRISPR-mediated mutagenesis in the fruit fly Drosophila to create knock-in alleles of InR tagged with fluorescent proteins (InR::mCherry or InR::EYFP). By inserting the coding sequence of the fluorescent proteins mCherry or EYFP near the end of the coding sequence of the endogenous InR gene, we could trace the natural InR protein through their fluorescence. As an example, we investigated epithelial cells of the male accessory gland (AG), an internal reproductive organ, and identified two distinct patterns of InR::mCherry localization. In young AG, InR::mCherry accumulated on the basal plasma membrane between cells, whereas in mature AG, it exhibited intracellular localization as multiple puncta, indicating endocytic recycling of InR during cell growth. In the AG senescence accelerated by the mutation of Diuretic hormone 31 (Dh31), the presence of InR::mCherry puncta was more pronounced compared to the wild type. These findings raise expectations for the utility of the newly created InR::mCherry/EYFP alleles for studying the precise expression levels and subcellular localization of InR. Furthermore, this fluorescently tagged allele approach can be extended to investigate other membrane receptors with low abundance, facilitating the direct examination of their true expression and localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayano Moriya
- Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Kei Otsuka
- Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Riku Naoi
- Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Mayu Terahata
- Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Koji Takeda
- Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Shu Kondo
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan
| | - Takashi Adachi-Yamada
- Graduate Course in Life Science, Graduate School of Science, Gakushuin University, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan,
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
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13
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Zhang S, Wu S, Yao R, Wei X, Ohlstein B, Guo Z. Eclosion muscles secrete ecdysteroids to initiate asymmetric intestinal stem cell division in Drosophila. Dev Cell 2024; 59:125-140.e12. [PMID: 38096823 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
During organ development, tissue stem cells first expand via symmetric divisions and then switch to asymmetric divisions to minimize the time to obtain a mature tissue. In the Drosophila midgut, intestinal stem cells switch their divisions from symmetric to asymmetric at midpupal development to produce enteroendocrine cells. However, the signals that initiate this switch are unknown. Here, we identify the signal as ecdysteroids. In the presence of ecdysone, EcR and Usp promote the expression of E93 to suppress Br expression, resulting in asymmetric divisions. Surprisingly, the primary source of pupal ecdysone is not from the prothoracic gland but from dorsal internal oblique muscles (DIOMs), a group of transient skeletal muscles that are required for eclosion. Genetic analysis shows that DIOMs secrete ecdysteroids during mTOR-mediated muscle remodeling. Our findings identify sequential endocrine and mechanical roles for skeletal muscle, which ensure the timely asymmetric divisions of intestinal stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Zhang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Institute for Brain Research, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Institute for Brain Research, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Ruining Yao
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Institute for Brain Research, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xueying Wei
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Institute for Brain Research, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Benjamin Ohlstein
- Children's Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zheng Guo
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Institute for Brain Research, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China; Cell Architecture Research Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.
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14
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Berg C, Sieber M, Sun J. Finishing the egg. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad183. [PMID: 38000906 PMCID: PMC10763546 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gamete development is a fundamental process that is highly conserved from early eukaryotes to mammals. As germ cells develop, they must coordinate a dynamic series of cellular processes that support growth, cell specification, patterning, the loading of maternal factors (RNAs, proteins, and nutrients), differentiation of structures to enable fertilization and ensure embryonic survival, and other processes that make a functional oocyte. To achieve these goals, germ cells integrate a complex milieu of environmental and developmental signals to produce fertilizable eggs. Over the past 50 years, Drosophila oogenesis has risen to the forefront as a system to interrogate the sophisticated mechanisms that drive oocyte development. Studies in Drosophila have defined mechanisms in germ cells that control meiosis, protect genome integrity, facilitate mRNA trafficking, and support the maternal loading of nutrients. Work in this system has provided key insights into the mechanisms that establish egg chamber polarity and patterning as well as the mechanisms that drive ovulation and egg activation. Using the power of Drosophila genetics, the field has begun to define the molecular mechanisms that coordinate environmental stresses and nutrient availability with oocyte development. Importantly, the majority of these reproductive mechanisms are highly conserved throughout evolution, and many play critical roles in the development of somatic tissues as well. In this chapter, we summarize the recent progress in several key areas that impact egg chamber development and ovulation. First, we discuss the mechanisms that drive nutrient storage and trafficking during oocyte maturation and vitellogenesis. Second, we examine the processes that regulate follicle cell patterning and how that patterning impacts the construction of the egg shell and the establishment of embryonic polarity. Finally, we examine regulatory factors that control ovulation, egg activation, and successful fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Berg
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5065USA
| | - Matthew Sieber
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390USA
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269USA
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15
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Rogers MF, Marshall OJ, Secombe J. KDM5-mediated activation of genes required for mitochondrial biology is necessary for viability in Drosophila. Development 2023; 150:dev202024. [PMID: 37800333 PMCID: PMC10651110 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Histone-modifying proteins play important roles in the precise regulation of the transcriptional programs that coordinate development. KDM5 family proteins interact with chromatin through demethylation of H3K4me3 as well as demethylase-independent mechanisms that remain less understood. To gain fundamental insights into the transcriptional activities of KDM5 proteins, we examined the essential roles of the single Drosophila Kdm5 ortholog during development. KDM5 performs crucial functions in the larval neuroendocrine prothoracic gland, providing a model to study its role in regulating key gene expression programs. Integrating genome binding and transcriptomic data, we identify that KDM5 regulates the expression of genes required for the function and maintenance of mitochondria, and we find that loss of KDM5 causes morphological changes to mitochondria. This is key to the developmental functions of KDM5, as expression of the mitochondrial biogenesis transcription factor Ets97D, homolog of GABPα, is able to suppress the altered mitochondrial morphology as well as the lethality of Kdm5 null animals. Together, these data establish KDM5-mediated cellular functions that are important for normal development and could contribute to KDM5-linked disorders when dysregulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Rogers
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Owen J. Marshall
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart TAS 7000, Australia
| | - Julie Secombe
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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16
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Perez-Mockus G, Cocconi L, Alexandre C, Aerne B, Salbreux G, Vincent JP. The Drosophila ecdysone receptor promotes or suppresses proliferation according to ligand level. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2128-2139.e4. [PMID: 37769663 PMCID: PMC7615657 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The steroid hormone 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20E) promotes proliferation in Drosophila wing precursors at low titer but triggers proliferation arrest at high doses. Remarkably, wing precursors proliferate normally in the complete absence of the 20E receptor, suggesting that low-level 20E promotes proliferation by overriding the default anti-proliferative activity of the receptor. By contrast, 20E needs its receptor to arrest proliferation. Dose-response RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of ex vivo cultured wing precursors identifies genes that are quantitatively activated by 20E across the physiological range, likely comprising positive modulators of proliferation and other genes that are only activated at high doses. We suggest that some of these "high-threshold" genes dominantly suppress the activity of the pro-proliferation genes. We then show mathematically and with synthetic reporters that combinations of basic regulatory elements can recapitulate the behavior of both types of target genes. Thus, a relatively simple genetic circuit can account for the bimodal activity of this hormone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Cocconi
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
| | | | | | - Guillaume Salbreux
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
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17
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Benrabaa SAM, Chang SA, Chang ES, Mykles DL. Effects of molting on the expression of ecdysteroid biosynthesis genes in the Y-organ of the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 340:114304. [PMID: 37127083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A pair of Y-organs (YOs) synthesize ecdysteroids that initiate and coordinate molting processes in decapod crustaceans. The YO converts cholesterol to secreted products through a biosynthetic pathway involving a Rieske oxygenase encoded by Neverland (Nvd) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases encoded by Halloween genes Spook (Spo; Cyp307a1), Phantom (Phm; Cyp306a1), Disembodied (Dib; Cyp302a1), and Shadow (Sad; Cyp315a1). NAD kinase (NADK) and 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS) support ecdysteroid synthesis in insects. A 20-hydroxylase, encoded by Shed in decapods and Shade in insects, converts ecdysone to the active hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). 20E is inactivated by cytochrome P450 26-hydroxylase (Cyp18a1). Contigs encoding these eight proteins were extracted from a Gecarcinus lateralis YO transcriptome and their expression was quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. mRNA levels of Gl-Spo and Gl-Phm were four orders of magnitude higher in YO than those in nine other tissues, while mRNA levels of Gl-NADK and Gl-ALAS were similar in all ten tissues. In G. lateralis induced to molt by multiple leg autotomy, YO mRNA levels of Gl-Nvd, Gl-Spo, Gl-Phm, Gl-NADK, and Gl-ALAS were highest in intermolt and premolt stages and lower in postmolt. Gl-Dib mRNA level was not affected by molt stage. mRNA level of Gl-Sad, which converts 2-deoxyecdysone to ecdysone, was higher in mid- and late premolt stages, when YO ecdysteroidogenic capacity is greatest. Gl-Cyp18a1 mRNA level was highest in intermolt, decreased in premolt stages, and was lowest in postmolt. In animals induced to molt by eyestalk ablation, YO mRNA levels of all eight genes were not correlated with increased hemolymph 20E titers. These results suggest that YO ecdysteroidogenic genes are differentially regulated at transcriptional and translational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sharon A Chang
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Ernest S Chang
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
| | - Donald L Mykles
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA.
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18
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Gu SH, Lin PL. Signaling in cAMP-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in prothoracic glands of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 149:104548. [PMID: 37481120 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated downstream pathways of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling (which is related to prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH)-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis) in Bombyx mori prothoracic glands (PGs). Results showed that treatment with either dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) or 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX) inhibited phosphorylation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and activated phosphorylation of the translational repressor, 4E-binding protein (4E-BP), a marker of target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling. A chemical activator of AMPK (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-d-ribofuranoside, AICAR) increased dbcAMP-inhibited AMPK phosphorylation and blocked dbcAMP-stimulated phosphorylation of 4E-BP, indicating that inhibition of AMPK phosphorylation lies upstream of dbcAMP-stimulated TOR signaling. Treatment of PGs with dbcAMP and MIX also stimulated phosphorylation of a 37-kDa protein, as recognized by a protein kinase C (PKC) substrate antibody, indicating that cAMP activates PKC signaling. Treatment with either LY294002 or AICAR did not affect dbcAMP-stimulated phosphorylation of the PKC-dependent 37-kDa protein, indicating that cAMP-stimulated PKC signaling is not related to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or AMPK. In addition, dbcAMP-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in PGs was partially inhibited by pretreatment with either LY294002, AICAR, or calphostin C. From these results, we concluded that AMPK/TOR/4E-BP and PKC pathways are involved in ecdysteroidogenesis of PGs stimulated by cAMP signaling in B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Hong Gu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung, Taiwan 404, ROC.
| | - Pei-Ling Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung, Taiwan 404, ROC
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19
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Kato N, Ebihara K, Nogawa T, Futamura Y, Inaba K, Okano A, Aono H, Fujikawa Y, Inoue H, Matsuda K, Osada H, Niwa R, Takahashi S. cis-Decalin-containing tetramic acids as inhibitors of insect steroidogenic glutathione S-transferase Noppera-bo. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290851. [PMID: 37651399 PMCID: PMC10470909 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Decalin-containing tetramic acid is a bioactive scaffold primarily produced by filamentous fungi. The structural diversity of this group of compounds is generated by characteristic enzymes of fungal biosynthetic pathways, including polyketide synthase/nonribosomal peptide synthetase hybrid enzymes and decalin synthase, which are responsible for the construction of a linear polyenoyl tetramic acid structure and stereoselective decalin formation via the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction, respectively. Compounds that differed only in the decalin configuration were collected from genetically engineered mutants derived from decalin-containing tetramic acid-producing fungi and used for a structure-activity relationship study. Our evaluation of biological activities, such as cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines and antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, and mitochondrial inhibitory activities, demonstrated that the activity for each assay varies depending on the decalin configurations. In addition to these known biological activities, we revealed that the compounds showed inhibitory activity against the insect steroidogenic glutathione S-transferase Noppera-bo. Engineering the decalin configurations would be useful not only to find derivatives with better biological activities but also to discover overlooked biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kato
- Natural Product Biosynthesis Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture, Setsunan University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kana Ebihara
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Nogawa
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Molecular Structure Characterization Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yushi Futamura
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Chemical Resource Development Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kazue Inaba
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akiko Okano
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Chemical Resource Development Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Harumi Aono
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Chemical Resource Development Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yuuta Fujikawa
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideshi Inoue
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Matsuda
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara, Nara, Japan
- Agricultural Technology and Innovation Research Institute, Kindai University, Nara, Nara, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Osada
- Chemical Biology Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Chemical Resource Development Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shunji Takahashi
- Natural Product Biosynthesis Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
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20
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Van Lommel J, Holtof M, Tilleman L, Cools D, Vansteenkiste S, Polgun D, Verdonck R, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Vanden Broeck J. Post-feeding transcriptomics reveals essential genes expressed in the midgut of the desert locust. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1232545. [PMID: 37692997 PMCID: PMC10484617 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1232545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The digestive tract constitutes an important interface between an animal's internal and external environment. In insects, available gut transcriptome studies are mostly exploratory or look at changes upon infection or upon exposure to xenobiotics, mainly performed in species belonging to holometabolan orders, such as Diptera, Lepidoptera or Coleoptera. By contrast, studies focusing on gene expression changes after food uptake and during digestion are underrepresented. We have therefore compared the gene expression profiles in the midgut of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, between three different time points after feeding, i.e., 24 h (no active digestion), 10 min (the initial stage of feeding), and 2 h (active food digestion). The observed gene expression profiles were consistent with the polyphagous herbivorous lifestyle of this hemimetabolan (orthopteran) species. Our study reveals the upregulation of 576 genes 2 h post-feeding. These are mostly predicted to be associated with digestive physiology, such as genes encoding putative digestive enzymes or nutrient transporters, as well as genes putatively involved in immunity or in xenobiotic metabolism. The 10 min time point represented an intermediate condition, suggesting that the S. gregaria midgut can react rapidly at the transcriptional level to the presence of food. Additionally, our study demonstrated the critical importance of two transcripts that exhibited a significant upregulation 2 h post-feeding: the vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase and the sterol transporter Niemann-Pick 1b protein, which upon RNAi-induced knockdown resulted in a marked increase in mortality. Their vital role and accessibility via the midgut lumen may make the encoded proteins promising insecticidal target candidates, considering that the desert locust is infamous for its huge migrating swarms that can devastate the agricultural production in large areas of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. In conclusion, the transcriptome datasets presented here will provide a useful and promising resource for studying the midgut physiology of S. gregaria, a socio-economically important pest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Van Lommel
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michiel Holtof
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Dorien Cools
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Seppe Vansteenkiste
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Daria Polgun
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Verdonck
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Yuan H, Gao Z, Cai P, Zhang W, Jin S, Jiang S, Xiong Y, Gong Y, Qiao H, Fu H. Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms Governing the Reproductive Molt of Macrobrachium nipponense: A Transcriptome Analysis of Ovaries across Various Molting Stages. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11056. [PMID: 37446235 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between molting and reproduction has received more attention in economically important crustacean decapods. Molting and reproduction are synergistic events in Macrobrachium nipponense, but the molecular regulatory mechanisms behind them are unclear. In the current study, we performed Illumina sequencing for the ovaries of M. nipponense during the molt cycle (pre-molting, Prm; mid-molting, Mm; and post-molting, Pom). A total of 66.57 Gb of transcriptome data were generated through sequencing, resulting in the identification of 105,149 unigenes whose alignment ratio with the reference genome exceeded 87.57%. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated through the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases for gene classification and pathway analysis. A total of twenty-six molt-related DEGs were found, and their expression patterns were examined across various molting stages. The KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the key pathways involved in regulating the molting process of M. nipponense primarily include the mTOR, insect hormone biosynthesis, TGF-beta, and Wnt signaling pathways. Our transcriptomic data suggest that these pathways crosstalk with each other to regulate the synthesis and degradation of ecdysone throughout the molt cycle. The current study has deepened our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of crustacean molting and will serve as a basis for future studies of crustaceans and other molting animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huwei Yuan
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Zijian Gao
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Pengfei Cai
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Shubo Jin
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Sufei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Yiwei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Yongsheng Gong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Hui Qiao
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Hongtuo Fu
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
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22
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Musdal Y, Ismail A, Sjödin B, Mannervik B. Potent GST Ketosteroid Isomerase Activity Relevant to Ecdysteroidogenesis in the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae. Biomolecules 2023; 13:976. [PMID: 37371556 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nobo is a glutathione transferase (GST) crucially contributing to ecdysteroid biosynthesis in insects of the orders Diptera and Lepidoptera. Ecdysone is a vital steroid hormone in insects, which governs larval molting and metamorphosis, and the suppression of its synthesis has potential as a novel approach to insect growth regulation and combatting vectors of disease. In general, GSTs catalyze detoxication, whereas the specific function of Nobo in ecdysteroidogenesis is unknown. We report that Nobo from the malaria-spreading mosquito Anopheles gambiae is a highly efficient ketosteroid isomerase catalyzing double-bond isomerization in the steroids 5-androsten-3,17-dione and 5-pregnen-3,20-dione. These mammalian ketosteroids are unknown in mosquitoes, but the discovered prominent catalytic activity of these compounds suggests that the unknown Nobo substrate in insects has a ketosteroid functionality. Aminoacid residue Asp111 in Nobo is essential for activity with the steroids, but not for conventional GST substrates. Further characterization of Nobo may guide the development of new insecticides to prevent malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaman Musdal
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, 06230 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Aram Ismail
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Sjödin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bengt Mannervik
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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23
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Truman JW, Riddiford LM. Drosophila postembryonic nervous system development: a model for the endocrine control of development. Genetics 2023; 223:iyac184. [PMID: 36645270 PMCID: PMC9991519 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
During postembryonic life, hormones, including ecdysteroids, juvenile hormones, insulin-like peptides, and activin/TGFβ ligands act to transform the larval nervous system into an adult version, which is a fine-grained mosaic of recycled larval neurons and adult-specific neurons. Hormones provide both instructional signals that make cells competent to undergo developmental change and timing cues to evoke these changes across the nervous system. While touching on all the above hormones, our emphasis is on the ecdysteroids, ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). These are the prime movers of insect molting and metamorphosis and are involved in all phases of nervous system development, including neurogenesis, pruning, arbor outgrowth, and cell death. Ecdysteroids appear as a series of steroid peaks that coordinate the larval molts and the different phases of metamorphosis. Each peak directs a stereotyped cascade of transcription factor expression. The cascade components then direct temporal programs of effector gene expression, but the latter vary markedly according to tissue and life stage. The neurons read the ecdysteroid titer through various isoforms of the ecdysone receptor, a nuclear hormone receptor. For example, at metamorphosis the pruning of larval neurons is mediated through the B isoforms, which have strong activation functions, whereas subsequent outgrowth is mediated through the A isoform through which ecdysteroids play a permissive role to allow local tissue interactions to direct outgrowth. The major circulating ecdysteroid can also change through development. During adult development ecdysone promotes early adult patterning and differentiation while its metabolite, 20E, later evokes terminal adult differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Truman
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lynn M Riddiford
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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24
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Haas E, Kim Y, Stanley D. Why can insects not biosynthesize cholesterol? ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 112:e21983. [PMID: 36372906 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Two aspects of insect lipid biochemistry differ from the mammalian background. In one aspect, nearly a hundred years ago scientists demonstrated that the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs), linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6) is an essential nutrient in the diets of all mammals that have been studied in that regard. An unknown number of insect species are able to biosynthesize LA de novo. Some species take the biosynthesized LA into fatty acid elongation/desaturation pathways to produce other PUFAs, 18:3n-6, 20:3n-6 and 20:4n-6. A couple of species use the de novo produced LA to biosynthesize prostaglandins and other eicosanoids, short-lived signal moieties that mediate important physiological actions in immunity and reproduction. Insects differ from mammals, also, in their lack of genes that encode enzymes acting in biosynthesis of cholesterol. Insects require dietary cholesterol to meet their cellular, physiological, developmental, and reproductive needs. Looking at a broader view of invertebrate biochemistry, most protostomes lost all or most genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. The massive gene loss occurred during the Ediacaran Period, which lasted 96 million years, from the end of the Cryogenian Period (635 million years ago; MYA) to the beginning of the Cambrian Period (538.6 MYA). The key point here is that the inability to biosynthesize cholesterol is not limited to insects; it occured in most protostomes. We address the protostome need and benefits of acquiring exogenous sterols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Haas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Yonggyun Kim
- Department of Plant Medicals, College of Life Sciences, Andong National University, Andong, Republic of Korea
| | - David Stanley
- Biological Control of Insect Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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25
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Gu SH, Chen CH, Chang CH, Lin PL. Expression of tyrosine phosphatases in relation to PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in prothoracic glands of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 331:114165. [PMID: 36368438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a reversible, dynamic process regulated by the activities of tyrosine kinases and tyrosine phosphatases. Although the involvement of tyrosine kinases in the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH)-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in insect prothoracic glands (PGs) has been documented, few studies have been conducted on the involvement of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the correlation between PTPs and PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in Bombyx mori PGs. Our results showed that the basal PTP enzymatic activities exhibited development-specific changes during the last larval instar and pupation stage, with high activities being detected during the later stages of the last larval instar. PTP enzymatic activity was stimulated by PTTH treatment both in vitro and in vivo. Pretreatment with phenylarsine oxide (PAO) and benzylphosphonic acid (BPA), two chemical inhibitors of tyrosine phosphatase, reduced PTTH-stimulated enzymatic activity. Determination of ecdysteroid secretion showed that treatment with PAO and BPA did not affect basal ecdysteroid secretion, but greatly inhibited PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroid secretion, indicating that PTTH-stimulated PTP activity is indeed involved in ecdysteroid secretion. PTTH-stimulated phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and 4E-binding protein (4E-BP) was partially inhibited by pretreatment with either PAO or BPA, indicating the potential link between PTPs and phosphorylation of ERK and 4E-BP. In addition, we also found that in vitro treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone did not affect PTP enzymatic activity. We further investigated the expressions of two important PTPs (PTP 1B (PTP1B) and the phosphatase and tension homologue (PTEN)) in Bombyx PGs. Our immunoblotting analysis showed that B. mori PGs contained the proteins of PTP1B and PTEN, with PTP1B protein undergoing development-specific changes. Protein levels of PTP1B and PTEN were not affected by PTTH treatment. The gene expression levels of PTP1B and PTEN showed development-specific changes. From these results, we suggest that PTTH-regulated PTP signaling may crosstalk with ERK and target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathways and is a necessary component for stimulation of ecdysteroid secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Hong Gu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Chien-Hung Chen
- Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, 89 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Jen-Te Township, Tainan County 717, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Hao Chang
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Ling Lin
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Kuan-Chien Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan, ROC
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26
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Scanlan JL, Robin C, Mirth CK. Rethinking the ecdysteroid source during Drosophila pupal-adult development. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 152:103891. [PMID: 36481381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ecdysteroids, typified by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), are essential hormones for the development, reproduction and physiology of insects and other arthropods. For over half a century, the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster (Ephydroidea: Diptera) has been used as a model of ecdysteroid biology. Many aspects of the biosynthesis and regulation of ecdysteroids in this species are understood at the molecular level, particularly with respect to their secretion from the prothoracic gland (PG) cells of the ring gland, widely considered the dominant biosynthetic tissue during development. Discrete pulses of 20E orchestrate transitions during the D. melanogaster life cycle, the sources of which are generally well understood, apart from the large 20E pulse at the onset of pharate adult development, which has received little recent attention. As the source of this pharate adult pulse (PAP) is a curious blind spot in Drosophila endocrinology, we evaluate published biochemical and genetic data as they pertain to three hypotheses for the source of PAP 20E: the PG; an alternative biosynthetic tissue; or the recycling of stored 20E. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we contend the PAP cannot be derived from biosynthesis, with other data consistent with D. melanogaster able to recycle ecdysteroids before and during metamorphosis. Published data also suggest the PAP is conserved across Diptera, with evidence for pupal-adult ecdysteroid recycling occurring in other cyclorrhaphan flies. Further experimental work is required to test the ecdysteroid recycling hypothesis, which would establish fundamental knowledge of the function, regulation, and evolution of metamorphic hormones in dipterans and other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack L Scanlan
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| | - Charles Robin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Christen K Mirth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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27
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Wang D, Yang G, Ru S, Zhang Z, Li Y, Wang J. Herbicide prometryn adversely affects the development and reproduction of Tigriopus japonicus by disturbing the ecdysone signal pathway and chitin metabolic pathway. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 254:106378. [PMID: 36571890 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Prometryn, a widely used triazine herbicide in agriculture and aquaculture, has been commonly detected in marine environments, but its effects on the marine copepod are unknown. In this study, marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus was chronically exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of prometryn to investigate its impacts and potential mechanism of action. The results showed that 0.5, 5, and 50 μg/L prometryn delayed the first spawning time and hatching time, reduced the fecundity, and inhibited the population growth rate. Moreover, exposure to 0.5, 5 and 50 μg/L prometryn decreased food ingestion, the content of C and N elements, nutrient accumulation and body size, but increased the content of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Transcriptome analysis showed that 50 μg/L prometryn down-regulated 1431 genes, which were mainly enriched in lysosome pathway and chitin binding and cuticle construction process. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression of key genes involved in juvenile hormone synthesis and chitin metabolic pathways were also inhibited after prometryn exposure. Molecular docking revealed that prometryn could bind to ecdysone receptor (EcR) and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (UAP), components of the ecdysteroid nuclear receptor complex. Therefore, environmental relevant prometryn delayed the molting and development of T. japonicus by disrupting the ecdysone signal pathway and chitin metabolic pathway through binding to EcR and UAP. This study provides new insights into toxic effects and molecular mechanisms of prometryn on marine copepods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Guangxin Yang
- Laboratory of Quality Safety and Processing for Aquatic Product, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, 200090, China
| | - Shaoguo Ru
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhenzhong Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yuejiao Li
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China.
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28
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Guirado J, Carranza-Valencia J, Morante J. Mammalian puberty: a fly perspective. FEBS J 2023; 290:359-369. [PMID: 35607827 PMCID: PMC10084137 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian puberty and Drosophila metamorphosis, despite their evolutionary distance, exhibit similar design principles and conservation of molecular components. In this Viewpoint, we review recent advances in this area and the similarities between both processes in terms of the signaling pathways and neuroendocrine circuits involved. We argue that the detection and uptake of peripheral fat by Drosophila prothoracic endocrine cells induces endomembrane remodeling and ribosomal maturation, leading to the acquisition of high biosynthetic and secretory capacity. The absence of this fat-neuroendocrine interorgan communication leads to giant, obese, non-pupating larvae. Importantly, human leptin is capable of signaling the pupariation process in Drosophila, and its expression prevents obesity and triggers maturation in mutants that do not pupate. This implies that insect metamorphosis can be used to address issues related to the biology of leptin and puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Guirado
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan Carranza-Valencia
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Javier Morante
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), San Juan de Alicante, Spain
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29
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Okamoto N, Watanabe A. Interorgan communication through peripherally derived peptide hormones in Drosophila. Fly (Austin) 2022; 16:152-176. [PMID: 35499154 PMCID: PMC9067537 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2022.2061834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, endocrine factors such as hormones and cytokines regulate development and homoeostasis through communication between different organs. For understanding such interorgan communications through endocrine factors, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster serves as an excellent model system due to conservation of essential endocrine systems between flies and mammals and availability of powerful genetic tools. In Drosophila and other insects, functions of neuropeptides or peptide hormones from the central nervous system have been extensively studied. However, a series of recent studies conducted in Drosophila revealed that peptide hormones derived from peripheral tissues also play critical roles in regulating multiple biological processes, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, and behaviour. Here, we summarise recent advances in understanding target organs/tissues and functions of peripherally derived peptide hormones in Drosophila and describe how these hormones contribute to various biological events through interorgan communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Okamoto
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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30
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Ohhara Y, Kato Y, Kamiyama T, Yamakawa-Kobayashi K. Su(var)2-10- and Su(var)205-dependent upregulation of the heterochromatic gene neverland is required for developmental transition in Drosophila. Genetics 2022; 222:iyac137. [PMID: 36149288 PMCID: PMC9630985 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals develop from juveniles to sexually mature adults through the action of steroid hormones. In insect metamorphosis, a surge of the steroid hormone ecdysone prompts the transition from the larval to the adult stage. Ecdysone is synthesized by a series of biosynthetic enzymes that are specifically expressed in an endocrine organ, the prothoracic gland. At the late larval stage, the expression levels of ecdysone biosynthetic enzymes are upregulated through the action of numerous transcription factors, thus initiating metamorphosis. In contrast, the mechanism by which chromatin regulators support the expression of ecdysone biosynthetic genes is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that Su(var)2-10 and Su(var)205, suppressor of variegation [Su(var)] genes encoding a chromatin regulator Su(var)2-10 and nonhistone heterochromatic protein 1a, respectively, regulate the transcription of one of the heterochromatic ecdysone biosynthetic genes, neverland, in Drosophila melanogaster. Knockdown of Su(var)2-10 and Su(var)205 in the prothoracic gland caused a decrease in neverland expression, resulting in a defect in larval-to-prepupal transition. Furthermore, overexpression of neverland and administration of 7-dehydrocholesterol, a biosynthetic precursor of ecdysone produced by Neverland, rescued developmental defects in Su(var)2-10 and Su(var)205 knockdown animals. These results indicate that Su(var)2-10- and Su(var)205-mediated proper expression of neverland is required for the initiation of metamorphosis. Given that Su(var)2-10-positive puncta are juxtaposed with the pericentromeric heterochromatic region, we propose that Su(var)2-10- and Su(var)205-dependent regulation of inherent heterochromatin structure at the neverland gene locus is essential for its transcriptional activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Ohhara
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Yuki Kato
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Takumi Kamiyama
- College of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kimiko Yamakawa-Kobayashi
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
- Graduate School of Integrated Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
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31
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Deliu LP, Turingan M, Jadir D, Lee B, Ghosh A, Grewal SS. Serotonergic neuron ribosomal proteins regulate the neuroendocrine control of Drosophila development. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010371. [PMID: 36048889 PMCID: PMC9473637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of ribosome function is a conserved mechanism of growth control. While studies in single cell systems have defined how ribosomes contribute to cell growth, the mechanisms that link ribosome function to organismal growth are less clear. Here we explore this issue using Drosophila Minutes, a class of heterozygous mutants for ribosomal proteins. These animals exhibit a delay in larval development caused by decreased production of the steroid hormone ecdysone, the main regulator of larval maturation. We found that this developmental delay is not caused by decreases in either global ribosome numbers or translation rates. Instead, we show that they are due in part to loss of Rp function specifically in a subset of serotonin (5-HT) neurons that innervate the prothoracic gland to control ecdysone production. We find that these effects do not occur due to altered protein synthesis or proteostasis, but that Minute animals have reduced expression of synaptotagmin, a synaptic vesicle protein, and that the Minute developmental delay can be partially reversed by overexpression of synaptic vesicle proteins in 5-HTergic cells. These results identify a 5-HT cell-specific role for ribosomal function in the neuroendocrine control of animal growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Patricia Deliu
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Turingan
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Deeshpaul Jadir
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Byoungchun Lee
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Abhishek Ghosh
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Savraj Singh Grewal
- Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Calgary, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Paredes-Montero JR, Arif U, Brown JK. Knockdown of ecdysteroid synthesis genes results in impaired molting and high mortality in Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:2204-2214. [PMID: 35191190 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) has become a promising biopesticide technology with which to direct sequence-specific gene knockdown of key targets in the potato psyllid (PoP) Bactericera cockerelli, resulting in significant mortality. In this study, three strategically selected target genes, ATF4, C7 and D24, essential for the biosynthesis and regulation of ecdysteroids, were evaluated for knockdown and mortality using oral delivery of individual, paired and all three double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), in five replicated experiments. Knockdown was determined as the fold-change in gene expression using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Knockdown of the D24 target, at 39%-45%, resulted in 51% PoP mortality by 10 days post-ingestion (dpi) of dsRNA. Knockdown of C7, at 38%-61%, resulted in 53% mortality by 10 dpi, whereas dsD24 ingestion resulted in 65% mortality by 10 dpi when dsD24 and dsC7 were co-delivered. Three phenotypes, INCOMEC, PREMEC and SWOLLEN, were observed at a frequency of 4%-12%, and are consistent with incomplete ecdysis in immature and/or adult PoP. Adult PoP exhibiting INCOMEC survived for several days but were unable to mate or fly, whereas SWOLLEN and PREMEC were lethal to the immature instars. Knockdown of ATF4 did not result in the mortality or malformations in immature and adult PoP. CONCLUSIONS Compared with knockdown of individual D24 and C7 targets, significantly greater RNAi penetrance was achieved following delivery of combined dsRNAs. The highest knockdown that resulted in incomplete ecdysis and/or mortality was obtained for targets with predicted involvement in the same or interacting pathway(s). Knockdown of ATF4 was apparently "rescued" by uncharacterized compensatory gene(s) or effects. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge R Paredes-Montero
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Usman Arif
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Judith K Brown
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Kamiyama T, Niwa R. Transcriptional Regulators of Ecdysteroid Biosynthetic Enzymes and Their Roles in Insect Development. Front Physiol 2022; 13:823418. [PMID: 35211033 PMCID: PMC8863297 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.823418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones are responsible for coordinating many aspects of biological processes in most multicellular organisms, including insects. Ecdysteroid, the principal insect steroid hormone, is biosynthesized from dietary cholesterol or plant sterols. In the last 20 years, a number of ecdysteroidogenic enzymes, including Noppera-bo, Neverland, Shroud, Spook/Spookier, Cyp6t3, Phantom, Disembodied, Shadow, and Shade, have been identified and characterized in molecular genetic studies using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. These enzymes are encoded by genes collectively called the Halloween genes. The transcriptional regulatory network, governed by multiple regulators of transcription, chromatin remodeling, and endoreplication, has been shown to be essential for the spatiotemporal expression control of Halloween genes in D. melanogaster. In this review, we summarize the latest information on transcriptional regulators that are crucial for controlling the expression of ecdysteroid biosynthetic enzymes and their roles in insect development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Kamiyama
- College of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Hoshino R, Niwa R. Regulation of Mating-Induced Increase in Female Germline Stem Cells in the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2021; 12:785435. [PMID: 34950056 PMCID: PMC8689587 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.785435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In many insect species, mating stimuli can lead to changes in various behavioral and physiological responses, including feeding, mating refusal, egg-laying behavior, energy demand, and organ remodeling, which are collectively known as the post-mating response. Recently, an increase in germline stem cells (GSCs) has been identified as a new post-mating response in both males and females of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We have extensively studied mating-induced increase in female GSCs of D. melanogaster at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels. After mating, the male seminal fluid peptide [e.g. sex peptide (SP)] is transferred to the female uterus. This is followed by binding to the sex peptide receptor (SPR), which evokes post-mating responses, including increase in number of female GSCs. Downstream of SP-SPR signaling, the following three hormones and neurotransmitters have been found to act on female GSC niche cells to regulate mating-induced increase in female GSCs: (1) neuropeptide F, a peptide hormone produced in enteroendocrine cells; (2) octopamine, a monoaminergic neurotransmitter synthesized in ovary-projecting neurons; and (3) ecdysone, a steroid hormone produced in ovarian follicular cells. These humoral factors are secreted from each organ and are received by ovarian somatic cells and regulate the strength of niche signaling in female GSCs. This review provides an overview of the latest findings on the inter-organ relationship to regulate mating-induced female GSC increase in D. melanogaster as a model. We also discuss the remaining issues that should be addressed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Hoshino
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Prothoracicostatic Activity of the Ecdysis-Regulating Neuropeptide Crustacean Cardioactive Peptide (CCAP) in the Desert Locust. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413465. [PMID: 34948262 PMCID: PMC8704491 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate control of innate behaviors associated with developmental transitions requires functional integration of hormonal and neural signals. Insect molting is regulated by a set of neuropeptides, which trigger periodic pulses in ecdysteroid hormone titers and coordinate shedding of the old cuticle during ecdysis. In the current study, we demonstrate that crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), a structurally conserved neuropeptide described to induce the ecdysis motor program, also exhibits a previously unknown prothoracicostatic activity to regulate ecdysteroid production in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. We identified the locust genes encoding the CCAP precursor and three G protein-coupled receptors that are activated by CCAP with EC50 values in the (sub)nanomolar range. Spatiotemporal expression profiles of the receptors revealed expression in the prothoracic glands, the endocrine organs where ecdysteroidogenesis occurs. RNAi-mediated knockdown of CCAP precursor or receptors resulted in significantly elevated transcript levels of several Halloween genes, which encode ecdysteroid biosynthesis enzymes, and in elevated ecdysteroid levels one day prior to ecdysis. Moreover, prothoracic gland explants exhibited decreased secretion of ecdysteroids in the presence of CCAP. Our results unequivocally identify CCAP as the first prothoracicostatic peptide discovered in a hemimetabolan species and reveal the existence of an intricate interplay between CCAP signaling and ecdysteroidogenesis.
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Li T, Zhang Q, Zhang X, Wan Q, Wang S, Zhang R, Zhang Z. Transcriptome and microbiome analyses of the mechanisms underlying antibiotic-mediated inhibition of larval development of the saprophagous insect Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 223:112602. [PMID: 34385061 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics are designed to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals; however, the overuse of various antibiotics and consequent contamination in the environment can have adverse effects on aquatic, soil, and saprophytic organisms. The house fly, an important decomposer in ecosystems, has been used for bioconversion of human and animal waste. Vermireactors have been used to remove antibiotics from waste for pollution control, but the effects of antibiotics on fly larvae are unclear. In the present work, we aimed to reveal the mechanism underlying the effects of antibiotics on larval growth in house flies at the transcriptome and microbiome levels and the relationships between genes and the microbiota. Observation of house flies after antibiotic exposure showed that gentamicin sulfate and levofloxacin hydrochloride inhibited larval development to a greater extent than amoxicillin. Transcriptome analysis revealed that biological pathways related to protein synthesis and the metabolism of fatty acids, pentose, and glucuronate were significantly enriched in flies exposed to gentamicin sulfate and levofloxacin hydrochloride. Crucial genes in these pathways were identified as candidates for future study. Microbiome analysis revealed three key bacteria that were closely correlated with gentamicin sulfate and levofloxacin hydrochloride exposure. The correlation network between the differentially expressed genes and bacteria identified an important microbic effector, Pseudomonas and its associated genes. This work will improve the knowledge about the mechanism underlying the effects of antibiotics on the larval development of house flies in the environment and provide guidance for improving the application of house fly bioconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Life Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Qing Wan
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Shumin Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Ruiling Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China.
| | - Zhong Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian 271016, Shandong, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences), Taian 271016, Shandong, China.
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Gu SH, Chen CH. Involvement of RSK phosphorylation in PTTH-stimulated ecdysone secretion in prothoracic glands of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 30:497-507. [PMID: 34089554 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is involved in prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH)-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis in insect prothoracic glands (PGs). In the present study, we further investigated the downstream signalling pathways. Our results showed that PTTH stimulated p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) phosphorylation at Thr573 in Bombyx mori PGs both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro PTTH stimulation was stage- and dose-dependent. The absence of Ca2+ reduced PTTH-stimulated RSK phosphorylation. Stimulation of RSK phosphorylation was also observed after treatment with either A23187 or thapsigargin. A phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, U73122, blocked PTTH-stimulated RSK phosphorylation. These results indicate the involvement of Ca2+ and PLC. Treatment with diphenylene iodonium (DPI), a mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor, blocked PTTH-regulated RSK phosphorylation, indicating its redox regulation. A mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, U0126, but not a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002, decreased PTTH-stimulated RSK phosphorylation, indicating that ERK is an upstream signalling. A protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, chelerythrine C, inhibited PTTH-stimulated RSK phosphorylation, and a PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate acetate (PMA) stimulated RSK phosphorylation, indicating the involvement of PKC. BI-D1870, a specific RSK inhibitor, partly prevented PTTH-stimulated RSK phosphorylation and significantly inhibited PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroid secretion, indicating that PTTH-stimulated RSK phosphorylation is involved in ecdysteroidogenesis. Taken together, these data indicate that PTTH activates RSK phosphorylation which plays important roles in PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S-H Gu
- Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - C-H Chen
- Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
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38
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Toyofuku M, Fujinaga D, Inaba K, Funahashi T, Fujikawa Y, Inoue H, Kataoka H, Niwa R, Ono H. The plant-derived triterpenoid, cucurbitacin B, but not cucurbitacin E, inhibits the developmental transition associated with ecdysone biosynthesis in Drosophila melanogaster. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 134:104294. [PMID: 34389412 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In insects, some sterols are essential not only for cell membrane homeostasis, but for biosynthesis of the steroid hormone ecdysone. Dietary sterols are required for insect development because insects cannot synthesize sterols de novo. Therefore, sterol-like compounds that can compete with essential sterols are good candidates for insect growth regulators. In this study, we investigated the effects of the plant-derived triterpenoids, cucurbitacin B and E (CucB and CucE) on the development of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. To reduce the effects of supply with an excess of sterols contained in food, we reared D. melanogaster larvae on low sterol food (LSF) with or without cucurbitacins. Most larvae raised on LSF without supplementation or with CucE died at the second or third larval instar (L2 or L3) stages, whereas CucB-administered larvae mostly died without molting. The developmental arrest caused by CucB was partially rescued by ecdysone supplementation. Furthermore, we examined the effects of CucB on larval-prepupal transition by transferring larvae from LSF supplemented with cholesterol to that with CucB just after the L2/L3 molt. L3 larvae raised on LSF with CucB failed to pupariate, with a remarkable developmental delay. Ecdysone supplementation rescued the developmental delay but did not rescue the pupariation defect. Furthermore, we cultured the steroidogenic organ, the prothoracic gland (PG) of the silkworm Bombyx mori, with or without cucurbitacin. Ecdysone production in the PG was reduced by incubation with CucB, but not with CucE. These results suggest that CucB acts not only as an antagonist of the ecdysone receptor as previously reported, but also acts as an inhibitor of ecdysone biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miwako Toyofuku
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Daiki Fujinaga
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kazue Inaba
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Tomoki Funahashi
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yuuta Fujikawa
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan
| | - Hideshi Inoue
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kataoka
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Hajime Ono
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan; Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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Tang R, Huang W, Guan J, Liu Q, Beerntsen BT, Ling E. Drosophila H2Av negatively regulates the activity of the IMD pathway via facilitating Relish SUMOylation. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009718. [PMID: 34370736 PMCID: PMC8376203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects depend on the innate immune response for defense against a wide array of pathogens. Central to Drosophila immunity are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), released into circulation when pathogens trigger either of the two widely studied signal pathways, Toll or IMD. The Toll pathway responds to infection by Gram-positive bacteria and fungi while the IMD pathway is activated by Gram-negative bacteria. During activation of the IMD pathway, the NF-κB-like transcription factor Relish is phosphorylated and then cleaved, which is crucial for IMD-dependent AMP gene induction. Here we show that loss-of-function mutants of the unconventional histone variant H2Av upregulate IMD-dependent AMP gene induction in germ-free Drosophila larvae and adults. After careful dissection of the IMD pathway, we found that Relish has an epistatic relationship with H2Av. In the H2Av mutant larvae, SUMOylation is down-regulated, suggesting a possible role of SUMOylation in the immune phenotype. Eventually we demonstrated that Relish is mostly SUMOylated on amino acid K823. Loss of the potential SUMOylation site leads to significant auto-activation of Relish in vivo. Further work indicated that H2Av regulates Relish SUMOylation after physically interacting with Su(var)2-10, the E3 component of the SUMOylation pathway. Biochemical analysis suggested that SUMOylation of Relish prevents its cleavage and activation. Our findings suggest a new mechanism by which H2Av can negatively regulate, and thus prevent spontaneous activation of IMD-dependent AMP production, through facilitating SUMOylation of the NF-κB like transcription factor Relish. Toll and IMD signaling pathways should be involved in the production of antimicrobial peptides in animals upon infection. Immunity responses are energy consuming. Thus, these two pathways are fine-tuned. Animal H2A variant histones are involved in many physiological functions. In Drosophila, the production of antibacterial peptides is out of control in the mutant of H2A variant (H2Av810). After careful examination, we found that Relish, the transcription factor of the IMD pathway, was activated in this mutant. Eventually we demonstrate that Relish can be SUMOylated with the involvement of H2Av. Loss of the main SUMOylation site in Relish induces it to auto-activate following over-expression. Therefore, H2Av is a negative regulator of the IMD signaling pathway by maintaining the normal level of Relish SUMOylation in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Tang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wuren Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingmin Guan
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuning Liu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresources of Saline Soils, Jiangsu Synthetic Innovation Center for Coastal Bio-agriculture, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coastal Wetland Bioresources and Environmental Protection, School of Wetland, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, China
| | - Brenda T. Beerntsen
- Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Erjun Ling
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Gillette CM, Tennessen JM, Reis T. Balancing energy expenditure and storage with growth and biosynthesis during Drosophila development. Dev Biol 2021; 475:234-244. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Mykles DL. Signaling Pathways That Regulate the Crustacean Molting Gland. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:674711. [PMID: 34234741 PMCID: PMC8256442 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.674711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A pair of Y-organs (YOs) are the molting glands of decapod crustaceans. They synthesize and secrete steroid molting hormones (ecdysteroids) and their activity is controlled by external and internal signals. The YO transitions through four physiological states over the molt cycle, which are mediated by molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH; basal state), mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1; activated state), Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGFβ)/Activin (committed state), and ecdysteroid (repressed state) signaling pathways. MIH, produced in the eyestalk X-organ/sinus gland complex, inhibits the synthesis of ecdysteroids. A model for MIH signaling is organized into a cAMP/Ca2+-dependent triggering phase and a nitric oxide/cGMP-dependent summation phase, which maintains the YO in the basal state during intermolt. A reduction in MIH release triggers YO activation, which requires mTORC1-dependent protein synthesis, followed by mTORC1-dependent gene expression. TGFβ/Activin signaling is required for YO commitment in mid-premolt. The YO transcriptome has 878 unique contigs assigned to 23 KEGG signaling pathways, 478 of which are differentially expressed over the molt cycle. Ninety-nine contigs encode G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), 65 of which bind a variety of neuropeptides and biogenic amines. Among these are putative receptors for MIH/crustacean hyperglycemic hormone neuropeptides, corazonin, relaxin, serotonin, octopamine, dopamine, allatostatins, Bursicon, ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH), CCHamide, FMRFamide, and proctolin. Contigs encoding receptor tyrosine kinase insulin-like receptor, epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor and ligands EGF and FGF suggest that the YO is positively regulated by insulin-like peptides and growth factors. Future research should focus on the interactions of signaling pathways that integrate physiological status with environmental cues for molt control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald L. Mykles
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- University of California-Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA, United States
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Mizuno Y, Imura E, Kurogi Y, Shimada-Niwa Y, Kondo S, Tanimoto H, Hückesfeld S, Pankratz MJ, Niwa R. A population of neurons that produce hugin and express the diuretic hormone 44 receptor gene projects to the corpora allata in Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:249-261. [PMID: 34021588 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The corpora allata (CA) are essential endocrine organs that biosynthesize and secrete the sesquiterpenoid hormone, namely juvenile hormone (JH), to regulate a wide variety of developmental and physiological events in insects. CA are directly innervated with neurons in many insect species, implying the innervations to be important for regulating JH biosynthesis. Although this is also true for the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, neurotransmitters produced in the CA-projecting neurons are yet to be identified. In this study on D. melanogaster, we aimed to demonstrate that a subset of neurons producing the neuropeptide hugin, the invertebrate counterpart of the vertebrate neuromedin U, directly projects to the adult CA. A synaptic vesicle marker in the hugin neurons was observed at their axon termini located on the CA, which were immunolabeled with a newly-generated antibody to the JH biosynthesis enzyme JH acid O-methyltransferase. We also found the CA-projecting hugin neurons to likely express a gene encoding the specific receptor for diuretic hormone 44 (Dh44). Moreover, our data suggest that the CA-projecting hugin neurons have synaptic connections with the upstream neurons producing Dh44. Unexpectedly, the inhibition of CA-projecting hugin neurons did not significantly alter the expression levels of the JH-inducible gene Krüppel-homolog 1, which implies that the CA-projecting neurons are not involved in JH biosynthesis but rather in other known biological processes. This is the first study to identify a specific neurotransmitter of the CA-projecting neurons in D. melanogaster, and to anatomically characterize a neuronal pathway of the CA-projecting neurons and their upstream neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Mizuno
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Eisuke Imura
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshitomo Kurogi
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yuko Shimada-Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shu Kondo
- Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Hiromu Tanimoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | | | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Okamoto N, Yamanaka N. Transporter-mediated ecdysteroid trafficking across cell membranes: A novel target for insect growth regulators. JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE SCIENCE 2021; 46:23-28. [PMID: 33746543 PMCID: PMC7953032 DOI: 10.1584/jpestics.d20-071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecdysteroids are a class of steroid hormones in arthropods that control molting and metamorphosis through interaction with intracellular nuclear receptors. In contrast to the extensive literature describing their biosynthetic pathways and signaling components, little has been known about how these hormones are traveling into and out of the cells through lipid bilayers of the cell membranes. Recently, a series of studies conducted in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster revealed that membrane transporters have critical functions in trafficking ecdysteroids across cell membranes, challenging the classical simple diffusion model of steroid hormone transport. Here we summarize recent advances in our understanding of membrane transporters involved in ecdysteroid signaling in Drosophila, with particular focus on Ecdysone Importer (EcI) that is involved in ecdysteroid uptake in peripheral tissues. We then discuss the potential advantage of EcI blockers as a novel pest management tool as compared to classical insect growth regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Okamoto
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8577, Japan
| | - Naoki Yamanaka
- Department of Entomology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Koiwai K, Morohashi K, Inaba K, Ebihara K, Kojima H, Okabe T, Yoshino R, Hirokawa T, Nampo T, Fujikawa Y, Inoue H, Yumoto F, Senda T, Niwa R. Non-steroidal inhibitors of Drosophila melanogaster steroidogenic glutathione S-transferase Noppera-bo. JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE SCIENCE 2021; 46:75-87. [PMID: 33746549 PMCID: PMC7953034 DOI: 10.1584/jpestics.d20-072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect growth regulators (IGRs) can be developed by elucidating the molecular mechanisms of insect-specific biological events. Because insect molting, and metamorphosis are controlled by ecdysteroids, their biosynthetic pathways can serve as targets for IGR development. The glutathione S-transferase Noppera-bo (Nobo), which is conserved in dipteran and lepidopteran species, plays an essential role in ecdysteroid biosynthesis. Our previous study using 17β-estradiol as a molecular probe revealed that Asp113 of Drosophila melanogaster Nobo (DmNobo) is essential for its biological function. However, to develop IGRs with a greater Nobo inhibitory activity than 17β-estradiol, further structural information is warranted. Here, we report five novel non-steroidal DmNobo inhibitors. Analysis of crystal structures of complexes revealed that DmNobo binds these inhibitors in an Asp113-independent manner. Among amino acid residues at the substrate-recognition site, conformation of conserved Phe39 was dynamically altered upon inhibitor binding. Therefore, these inhibitors can serve as seed compounds for IGR development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Koiwai
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1–1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0801, Japan
| | - Kana Morohashi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, Japan
| | - Kazue Inaba
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1–1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0801, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, Japan
| | - Kana Ebihara
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, Japan
| | - Hirotatsu Kojima
- Drug Discovery Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 7–3–1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Okabe
- Drug Discovery Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 7–3–1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan
| | - Ryunosuke Yoshino
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences Majors of Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8575, Japan
| | - Takatsugu Hirokawa
- Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8575, Japan
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8575, Japan
- Molecular Profiling Research Center for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 2–4–7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135–0064, Japan
| | - Taiki Nampo
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432–1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392, Japan
| | - Yuuta Fujikawa
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432–1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392, Japan
| | - Hideshi Inoue
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432–1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192–0392, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Yumoto
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1–1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0801, Japan
| | - Toshiya Senda
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1–1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0801, Japan
- School of High Energy Accelerator Science, SOKENDAI University, 1–1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0801, Japan
- Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Ibaraki 305–8571, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1–1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0801, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8572, Japan
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, 1–1–1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–8577, Japan
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Si W, Wang Q, Li Y, Dong D. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of insect larval and metamorphic molts. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 20:24. [PMID: 33234135 PMCID: PMC7687791 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-020-00227-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Molting is an essential biological process occurring characteristic times throughout the life cycle of holometabolous insects. However, it is not clear how insects determine the direction of molting to remain status quo or to initiate metamorphosis. To explore the functional factors that determine the direction of molts, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify the molecules involved in larval and metamorphic molting, and the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were compared in the two processes. Results There were 321 and 1140 DEPs identified in larval and metamorphic molting process, respectively. Bioinformatics analyses show that the amino sugar pathway was up-regulated in both processes. The up-regulated protease contributed to the metamorphosis. In addition, several proteins with different expression patterns in larval-larval and larval-pupal transitions, including Endochitinase, GRIM-19 (Genes associated with retinoid-IFN-induced mortality-19), IDE (Insulin-degrading enzyme), Sorcin (Soluble resistance related calcium binding protein), OBP (Odorant-binding protein-2 precursor), TRAP1(Tumor necrosis factor receptor associated protein-1), etc., were further identified by parallel reaction monitoring, which may play diverse functions in larval-larval and larval-pupal transitions. Conclusions These results provide a proteomic insight into molecules involved in larval and metamorphic molts, and will likely improve the current understanding of determination of direction of molts. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12861-020-00227-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiye Si
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Qingjie Wang
- Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Yu Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Dujuan Dong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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