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Melicher D, Torson AS, Yocum GD, Bosch J, Kemp WP, Bowsher JH, Rinehart JP. Metabolic and transcriptomic characterization of summer and winter dormancy in the solitary bee, Osmia lignaria. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 166:104074. [PMID: 38228213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104074] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The solitary bee Osmia lignaria is a native pollinator in North America with growing economic importance. The life cycle of O. lignaria provides a unique opportunity to compare the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying two ecologically contrasting dormancies within the same species. O. lignaria prepupae become dormant during the summer to avoid high temperatures. Shortly after adult eclosion, they enter a second dormancy and overwinter as diapausing adults. To compare these two dormancies, we measured metabolic rates and gene expression across development as bees initiate, maintain, and terminate both prepupal (summer) and adult (overwintering) dormancies. We observed a moderate temperature-independent decrease in gas exchange during both the prepupal dormancy after cocoon spinning (45 %) and during adult diapause after eclosion (60 %). We sequenced and assembled a high-quality reference genome from a single haploid male bee with a contiguous n50 of 5.5 Mbp to facilitate our transcriptomic analysis. The transcriptomes of dormant prepupae and diapausing adults clustered into distinct groups more closely associated with life stage than dormancy status. Membrane transport, membrane-bound cellular components, oxidoreductase activity, glutathione metabolism, and transcription factor activity increased during adult diapause, relative to prepupal dormancy. Further, the transcriptomes of adults in diapause clustered into two groups, supporting multiple phases of diapause during winter. Late adult diapause was associated with gene expression profiles supporting increased insulin/IGF, juvenile hormone, and ecdysone signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dacotah Melicher
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, 1616 Albrecht Boulevard North, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
| | - Alex S Torson
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, 1616 Albrecht Boulevard North, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA.
| | - George D Yocum
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, 1616 Albrecht Boulevard North, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
| | - Jordi Bosch
- CREAF, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - William P Kemp
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, 1616 Albrecht Boulevard North, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
| | - Julia H Bowsher
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 1340 Bolley Drive, 218 Stevens Hall, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
| | - Joseph P Rinehart
- Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, 1616 Albrecht Boulevard North, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
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Dou X, Jurenka R. Pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide family in insects: a review. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1274750. [PMID: 38161974 PMCID: PMC10755894 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1274750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are involved in almost all physiological activities of insects. Their classification is based on physiological function and the primary amino acid sequence. The pyrokinin (PK)/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptides (PBAN) are one of the largest neuropeptide families in insects, with a conserved C-terminal domain of FXPRLamide. The peptide family is divided into two groups, PK1/diapause hormone (DH) with a WFGPRLa C-terminal ending and PK2/PBAN with FXPRLamide C-terminal ending. Since the development of cutting-edge technology, an increasing number of peptides have been sequenced primarily through genomic, transcriptomics, and proteomics, and their functions discovered using gene editing tools. In this review, we discussed newly discovered functions, and analyzed the distribution of genes encoding these peptides throughout different insect orders. In addition, the location of the peptides that were confirmed by PCR or immunocytochemistry is also described. A phylogenetic tree was constructed according to the sequences of the receptors of most insect orders. This review offers an understanding of the significance of this conserved peptide family in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Dou
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Russell Jurenka
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, Microbiology Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Yun SH, Jang HS, Ahn SJ, Price BE, Hasegawa DK, Choi MY. Identification and characterisation of PRXamide peptides in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 32:603-614. [PMID: 37265417 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12859] [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: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Insect CAPA-PVK (periviscerokinin) and pyrokinin (PK) neuropeptides belong to the PRX family peptides and are produced from capa and pyrokinin genes. We identified and characterised the two genes from the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. The capa gene transcribes three splice variants, capa-a, -b, and -c, encoding two CAPA-PVKs (EVQGLFPFPRVamide; QGLIPFPRVamide) and two PKs (ASWMPSSSPRLamide; DSASFTPRLamide). The pyrokinin mRNA encodes three PKs: DLVTQVLQPGQTGMWFGPRLamide, SEGNLVNFTPRLamide, and ESGEQPEDLEGSMGGAATSRQLRTDSEPTWGFSPRLamide, the most extended pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) ortholog in insects. Multiple potential endoproteolytic cleavage sites were presented in the prepropeptides from the pyrokinin gene, creating ambiguity to predict mature peptides. To solve this difficulty, we used three G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for CAPA-PVK, tryptophan PK (trpPK), and PK peptides, and evaluated the binding affinities of the peptides. The binding activities revealed each subfamily of peptides exclusively bind to their corresponding receptors, and were significant for determining the CAPA-PVK and PK peptides. Our biological method using specific GPCRs would be a valuable tool for determining mature peptides, particularly with multiple and ambiguous cleavage sites in those prepropeptides. Both capa and pyrokinin mRNAs were strongly expressed in the head/thorax, but minimally expressed in the abdomen. The two genes also were clearly expressed during most of the life stages. Whole-mounting immunocytochemistry revealed that neurons contained PRXamide peptides throughout the whole-body: four to six neurosecretory cells in the head, and three and seven pairs of immunostained cells in the thorax and abdomen, respectively. Notably, the unusual PRXamide profiles of Thysanoptera are different from the other insect groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Hwan Yun
- Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Hwaseong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Sang Jang
- Horticultural Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Seung-Joon Ahn
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Briana E Price
- Horticultural Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Daniel K Hasegawa
- Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Salinas, California, USA
| | - Man-Yeon Choi
- Horticultural Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Shirai Y, Ono H, Daimon T. Redundant actions of neuropeptides encoded by the dh-pban gene for larval color pattern formation in the oriental armyworm Mythimnaseparata. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 157:103955. [PMID: 37146697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The pyrokinin (PK)/pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide (PBAN) family, which is defined by a conserved C-terminal pentapeptide (FXPRLamide), is involved in many physiological processes in insects. In the oriental armyworm Mythimna separata, the larvae exhibit a variety of color patterns in response to changes in population density, which are caused by melanization and a reddish coloration hormone (MRCH), which is a member of the FXPRLamide neuropeptides. Interestingly, in some lepidopteran insects, MRCH is known as a PBAN, which activates the pheromone gland to produce sex pheromones. PBAN is encoded by a single gene, dh-pban, which encodes additional FXPRLamide neuropeptides, such as the diapause hormone (DH) and subesophageal ganglion neuropeptides (SGNPs). To determine the roles of the dh-pban gene, which produces multiple types of FXPRLamide neuropeptides after post-transcriptional cleavage of the precursor protein, we performed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis in M. separata. We demonstrated that knockout armyworm larvae lost density-dependent cuticular melanization and retained yellow body color, even when reared under crowded conditions. Moreover, our rescue experiments using the synthetic peptides showed that not only PBAN but also β- and γ-SGNPs significantly induce the cuticular melanization in a dose dependent manner. Taken together, our results provide genetic evidence that neuropeptides encoded by the single dh-pban gene act redundantly to control density-dependent color pattern formation in M. separata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shirai
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hajime Ono
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takaaki Daimon
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
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Vafopoulou X, Donaldson LW, Steel CGH. The prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) of Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera) is noggin-like: Molecular characterisation, functional analysis and evolutionary implications. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 332:114184. [PMID: 36455643 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) is a central regulator of insect development that regulates the production of the steroid moulting hormones (ecdysteroids) from the prothoracic glands (PGs). Rhodnius PTTH was the first brain neurohormone discovered in any animal almost 100 years ago but has eluded identification and no homologue of Bombyx mori PTTH occurs in its genome. Here, we report Rhodnius PTTH is the first noggin-like PTTH found. It differs in important respects from known PTTHs and is the first PTTH from the Hemimetabola (Exopterygota) to be fully analysed. Recorded PTTHs are widespread in Holometabola but close to absent in hemimetabolous orders. We concluded Rhodnius PTTH likely differed substantially from the known ones. We identified one Rhodnius gene that coded a noggin-like protein (as defined by Molina et al., 2009) that had extensive similarities with known PTTHs but also had two additional cysteines. Sequence and structural analysis showed known PTTHs are closely related to noggin-like proteins, as both possess a growth factor cystine knot preceded by a potential cleavage site. The gene is significantly expressed only in the brain, in a few cells of the dorsal protocerebrum. We vector-expressed the sequence from the potential cleavage site to the C-terminus. This protein was strongly steroidogenic on PGs in vitro. An antiserum to the protein removed the steroidogenic protein released by the brain. RNAi performed on brains in vitro showed profound suppression of transcription of the gene and of production and release of PTTH and thus of ecdysteroid production by PGs. In vivo, the gene is expressed throughout development, in close synchrony with PTTH release, ecdysteroid production by PGs and the ecdysteroid titre. The Rhodnius PTTH monomer is 17kDa and immunoreactive to anti-PTTH of Bombyx mori (a holometabolan). Bombyx PTTH also mildly stimulated Rhodnius PGs. The two additional cysteines form a disulfide at the tip of finger 2, causing a loop of residues to protrude from the finger. A PTTH variant without this loop failed to stimulate PGs, showing the loop is essential for PTTH activity. It is considered that PTTHs of Holometabola evolved from a noggin-like protein in the ancestor of Holometabola and Hemiptera, c.400ma, explaining the absence of holometabolous-type PTTHs from hemimetabolous orders and the differences of Rhodnius PTTH from them. Noggin-like proteins studied from Hemiptera to Arachnida were homologous with Rhodnius PTTH and may be common as PTTHs or other hormones in lower insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xanthe Vafopoulou
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Logan W Donaldson
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Colin G H Steel
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada.
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Farris SM. Insect PRXamides: Evolutionary Divergence, Novelty, and Loss in a Conserved Neuropeptide System. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:3. [PMID: 36661324 PMCID: PMC9853942 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The PRXamide neuropeptides have been described in both protostome and deuterostome species, including all major groups of the Panarthropoda. Best studied are the insect PRXamides consisting of three genes: pk/pban, capa, and eth, each encoding multiple short peptides that are cleaved post-translationally. Comparisons of genome and transcriptome sequences reveal that while retaining its fundamental ancestral organization, the products of the pk/pban gene have undergone significant change in the insect Order Diptera. Basal dipteran pk/pban genes are much like those of other holometabolous insects, while more crown species have lost two peptide coding sequences including the otherwise ubiquitous pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN). In the genomic model species Drosophila melanogaster, one of the remaining peptides (hugin) plays a potentially novel role in feeding and locomotor regulation tied to circadian rhythms. Comparison of peptide coding sequences of pk/pban across the Diptera pinpoints the acquisition or loss of the hugin and PBAN peptide sequences respectively, and provides clues to associated changes in life history, physiology, and/or behavior. Interestingly, the neural circuitry underlying pk/pban function is highly conserved across the insects regardless of the composition of the pk/pban gene. The rapid evolution and diversification of the Diptera provide many instances of adaptive novelties from genes to behavior that can be placed in the context of emerging selective pressures at key points in their phylogeny; further study of changing functional roles of pk/pban may then be facilitated by the high-resolution genetic tools available in Drosophila melanogaster.
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Denlinger DL. Exploiting tools for manipulating insect diapause. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 112:715-723. [PMID: 36200451 DOI: 10.1017/s000748532100016x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tools that could be used to subvert the insect diapause response offer potential for insect pest management as well as for the experimental manipulation of insects and the facilitation of mass rearing procedures. In some cases, it is desirable to break diapause on demand and in other cases, it may be attractive to exploit diapause for long-term storage of biocontrol agents or valuable experimental lines. This review highlights some of the diapause disruptors reported in the literature, as well as chemical and physical manipulations that can be used to extend diapause or even induce diapause in an insect not programmed for diapause. The insect hormones are quite effective agents for breaking diapause and in some cases for extending the duration of diapause, but a collection of other chemical agents can also act as potent diapause disruptors, e.g. organic solvents, weak acids and bases, carbon dioxide, imidazole compounds, LSD, deuterium oxide, DMSO, ouabain, cholera toxin, cyclic GMP, heavy metals, and hydrogen peroxide. Physical manipulations such as artificial light at night, anoxia, shaking and heat shock are also known diapause disruptors. Some of these documented manipulations prevent diapause, others terminate diapause immediately, others alter the duration of diapause, and a few compounds can induce a diapause-like state in insects that are not programmed for diapause. The diversity of tools noted in the literature offers promise for the development of new tools or manipulations that possibly could be used to disrupt diapause or manage diapause in controlled laboratory experiments and in mass-rearing facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Denlinger
- Departments of Entomology and Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1242, USA
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Wulff JP, Temeyer KB, Tidwell JP, Schlechte KG, Lohmeyer KH, Pietrantonio PV. Periviscerokinin (Cap 2b; CAPA) receptor silencing in females of Rhipicephalus microplus reduces survival, weight and reproductive output. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:359. [PMID: 36203198 PMCID: PMC9535995 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05457-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, is a vector of pathogens causative of babesiosis and anaplasmosis, both highly lethal bovine diseases that affect cattle worldwide. In Ecdysozoa, neuropeptides and their G-protein-coupled receptors play a critical integrative role in the regulation of all physiological processes. However, the physiological activity of many neuropeptides is still unknown in ticks. Periviscerokinins (CAP2b/PVKs) are neuropeptides associated with myotropic and diuretic activities in insects. These peptides have been identified only in a few tick species, such as Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis and R. microplus, and their cognate receptor only characterized for the last two. METHODS Expression of the periviscerokinin receptor (Rhimi-CAP2bR) was investigated throughout the developmental stages of R. microplus and silenced by RNA interference (RNAi) in the females. In a first experiment, three double-stranded (ds) RNAs, named ds680-805, ds956-1109 and ds1102-1200, respectively, were tested in vivo. All three caused phenotypic effects, but only the last one was chosen for subsequent experiments. Resulting RNAi phenotypic variables were compared to those of negative controls, both non-injected and dsRNA beta-lactamase-injected ticks, and to positive controls injected with beta-actin dsRNA. Rhimi-CAP2bR silencing was verified by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR in whole females and dissected tissues. RESULTS Rhimi-CAP2bR transcript expression was detected throughout all developmental stages. Rhimi-CAP2bR silencing was associated with increased female mortality, decreased weight of surviving females and of egg masses, a delayed egg incubation period and decreased egg hatching (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS CAP2b/PVKs appear to be associated with the regulation of female feeding, reproduction and survival. Since the Rhimi-CAP2bR loss of function was detrimental to females, the discovery of antagonistic molecules of the CAP2b/PVK signaling system should cause similar effects. Our results point to this signaling system as a promising target for tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P. Wulff
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2475 USA
| | - Kevin B. Temeyer
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
| | - Jason P. Tidwell
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd. Building 6419, Edinburg, TX 78541-5033 USA
| | - Kristie G. Schlechte
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
| | - Kimberly H. Lohmeyer
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
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Wulff JP, Temeyer KB, Tidwell JP, Schlechte KG, Xiong C, Lohmeyer KH, Pietrantonio PV. Pyrokinin receptor silencing in females of the southern cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is associated with a reproductive fitness cost. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:252. [PMID: 35818078 PMCID: PMC9272880 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05349-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhipicephalus microplus is the vector of deadly cattle pathogens, especially Babesia spp., for which a recombinant vaccine is not available. Therefore, disease control depends on tick vector control. However, R. microplus populations worldwide have developed resistance to available acaricides, prompting the search for novel acaricide targets. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in the regulation of many physiological processes and have been suggested as druggable targets for the control of arthropod vectors. Arthropod-specific signaling systems of small neuropeptides are being investigated for this purpose. The pyrokinin receptor (PKR) is a GPCR previously characterized in ticks. Myotropic activity of pyrokinins in feeding-related tissues of Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ixodes scapularis was recently reported. METHODS The R. microplus pyrokinin receptor (Rhimi-PKR) was silenced through RNA interference (RNAi) in female ticks. To optimize RNAi, a dual-luciferase assay was applied to determine the silencing efficiency of two Rhimi-PKR double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) prior to injecting dsRNA in ticks to be placed on cattle. Phenotypic variables of female ticks obtained at the endpoint of the RNAi experiment were compared to those of control female ticks (non-injected and beta-lactamase dsRNA-injected). Rhimi-PKR silencing was verified by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR in whole females and dissected tissues. RESULTS The Rhimi-PKR transcript was expressed in all developmental stages. Rhimi-PKR silencing was confirmed in whole ticks 4 days after injection, and in the tick carcass, ovary and synganglion 6 days after injection. Rhimi-PKR silencing was associated with an increased mortality and decreased weight of both surviving females and egg masses (P < 0.05). Delays in repletion, pre-oviposition and incubation periods were observed (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Rhimi-PKR silencing negatively affected female reproductive fitness. The PKR appears to be directly or indirectly associated with the regulation of female feeding and/or reproductive output in R. microplus. Antagonists of the pyrokinin signaling system could be explored for tick control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P. Wulff
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2475 USA
| | - Kevin B. Temeyer
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
| | - Jason P. Tidwell
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd. Building 6419, Edinburg, TX 78541-5033 USA
| | - Kristie G. Schlechte
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
| | - Caixing Xiong
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2475 USA
| | - Kimberly H. Lohmeyer
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
| | - Patricia V. Pietrantonio
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184 USA
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Zhang MG, Sternberg PW. Both entry to and exit from diapause arrest in Caenorhabditis elegans are regulated by a steroid hormone pathway. Development 2022; 149:274989. [PMID: 35394033 PMCID: PMC9148571 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Diapause arrest in animals such as Caenorhabditis elegans is tightly regulated so that animals make appropriate developmental decisions amidst environmental challenges. Fully understanding diapause requires mechanistic insight of both entry and exit from the arrested state. Although a steroid hormone pathway regulates the entry decision into C. elegans dauer diapause, its role in the exit decision is less clear. A complication to understanding steroid hormonal regulation of dauer has been the peculiar fact that steroid hormone mutants such as daf-9 form partial dauers under normal growth conditions. Here, we corroborate previous findings that daf-9 mutants remain capable of forming full dauers under unfavorable growth conditions and establish that the daf-9 partial dauer state is likely a partially exited dauer that has initiated but cannot complete the dauer exit process. We show that the steroid hormone pathway is both necessary for and promotes complete dauer exit, and that the spatiotemporal dynamics of steroid hormone regulation during dauer exit resembles that of dauer entry. Overall, dauer entry and dauer exit are distinct developmental decisions that are both controlled by steroid hormone signaling. Summary: In animals such as Caenorhabditis elegans, a steroid hormone pathway controls both the entry and exit decisions into and out of the developmentally arrested dauer state in response to environmental signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G. Zhang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Paul W. Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Xiong C, Wulff JP, Nachman RJ, Pietrantonio PV. Myotropic Activities of Tick Pyrokinin Neuropeptides and Analog in Feeding Tissues of Hard Ticks (Ixodidae). Front Physiol 2022; 12:826399. [PMID: 35242048 PMCID: PMC8887807 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.826399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides regulate many important physiological processes in animals. The G protein-coupled receptors of corresponding small neuropeptide ligands are considered promising targets for controlling arthropod pests. Pyrokinins (PKs) are pleiotropic neuropeptides that, in some insect species, stimulate muscle contraction and modulate pheromone biosynthesis, embryonic diapause, and feeding behavior. However, their function remains unknown in ticks. In this study, we reported the myotropic activity of tick endogenous PKs and a PK agonist analog, PK-PEG8 (MS[PEG8]-YFTPRLa), on feeding tissues of two tick species representing the family Ixodidae lineages, namely, Prostriata (Ixodes scapularis) and Metastriata (Rhipicephalus sanguineus). First, we predicted the sequences of two periviscerokinins (PVK), one with a derived ending RNa and five PKs encoded by the CAPA peptide precursor from R. sanguineus and found the encoded PKs were identical to those of R. microplus identified previously. The pharynx-esophagus of both tick species responded with increased contractions to 10 μM of the endogenous PK as well as to PK-PEG8 but not to the scrambled PK peptide, as expected. A dose-dependent myotropic activity of the PK-PEG8 was found for both tick species, validating the analog activity previously found in the pyrokinin recombinant receptor assay. In agreement with the tissue activity elicited, we quantified the relative transcript abundance of R. sanguineus PK receptor in unfed female ticks and found it was the highest in the feeding tissues extracted from the capitulum and lowest in the reproductive tissue. This is the first report of the activity of pyrokinins in ticks. These findings strongly indicate the potential role of PKs in regulating tick blood feeding and therefore, making the tick PK receptor a potential target for interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caixing Xiong
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Juan P Wulff
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Ronald J Nachman
- Insect Neuropeptide Lab, Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, College Station, TX, United States
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12
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Pruisscher P, Lehmann P, Nylin S, Gotthard K, Wheat CW. Extensive transcriptomic profiling of pupal diapause in a butterfly reveals a dynamic phenotype. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1269-1280. [PMID: 34862690 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diapause is a common adaptation for overwintering in insects that is characterized by arrested development and increased tolerance to stress and cold. While the expression of specific candidate genes during diapause have been investigated, there is no general understanding of the dynamics of the transcriptional landscape as a whole during the extended diapause phenotype. Such a detailed temporal insight is important as diapause is a vital aspect of life cycle timing. Here, we performed a time-course experiment using RNA-Seq on the head and abdomen in the butterfly Pieris napi. In both body parts, comparing diapausing and nondiapausing siblings, differentially expressed genes are detected from the first day of pupal development and onwards, varying dramatically across these formative stages. During diapause there are strong gene expression dynamics present, revealing a preprogrammed transcriptional landscape that is active during the winter. Different biological processes appear to be active in the two body parts. Finally, adults emerging from either the direct or diapause pathways do not show large transcriptomic differences, suggesting the adult phenotype is strongly canalized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philipp Lehmann
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sören Nylin
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl Gotthard
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Hull JJ, Brent CS, Choi MY, Mikó Z, Fodor J, Fónagy A. Molecular and Functional Characterization of Pyrokinin-Like Peptides in the Western Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12100914. [PMID: 34680683 PMCID: PMC8541414 DOI: 10.3390/insects12100914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Neuropeptides regulate most insect biological functions. One such group of peptides, the pyrokinins (PKs), are distinguished by a C-terminal FXPRLamide. While widely distributed in most insects, they are poorly characterized in plant bugs. To address this limitation, we identified the PK transcript in the western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus) and examined its expression. The Lygus PK transcript is predicted to yield three PK-like peptides but only two (LyghePKa and LyghePKb) have the characteristic C-terminal amide. The transcript is expressed throughout development and is most abundant in heads. A custom FXPRLamide antibody revealed immunoreactive cells throughout the Lygus central nervous system consistent with typical neuropeptide expression. To assess potential functional roles of the peptides, a fluorescence-based Ca2+ influx assay using cultured insect cells stably expressing a moth PK receptor was performed. LyghePKa was unable to stimulate receptor activation, whereas LyghePKb triggered a robust response. The in vivo pheromonotropic activity of the two peptides was likewise assessed using three different moth species. Like the cell culture system, only the LyghePKb peptide was active. The study suggests evolutionary divergence of the PK gene in plant bugs and provides critical insights into likely biological functions in the western tarnished plant bug. Abstract The pyrokinin (PK) family of insect neuropeptides, characterized by C termini consisting of either WFGPRLamide (i.e., PK1) or FXPRLamide (i.e., PK2), are encoded on the capa and pk genes. Although implicated in diverse biological functions, characterization of PKs in hemipteran pests has been largely limited to genomic, transcriptomic, and/or peptidomic datasets. The Lygus hesperus (western tarnished plant bug) PK transcript encodes a prepropeptide predicted to yield three PK2 FXPRLamide-like peptides with C-terminal sequences characterized by FQPRSamide (LyghePKa), FAPRLamide (LyghePKb), and a non-amidated YSPRF. The transcript is expressed throughout L. hesperus development with greatest abundance in adult heads. PRXamide-like immunoreactivity, which recognizes both pk- and capa-derived peptides, is localized to cells in the cerebral ganglia, gnathal ganglia/suboesophageal ganglion, thoracic ganglia, and abdominal ganglia. Immunoreactivity in the abdominal ganglia is largely consistent with capa-derived peptide expression, whereas the atypical fourth pair of immunoreactive cells may reflect pk-based expression. In vitro activation of a PK receptor heterologously expressed in cultured insect cells was only observed in response to LyghePKb, while no effects were observed with LyghePKa. Similarly, in vivo pheromonotropic effects were only observed following LyghePKb injections. Comparison of PK2 prepropeptides from multiple hemipterans suggests mirid-specific diversification of the pk gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Joe Hull
- Pest Management and Biocontrol Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Colin S. Brent
- Pest Management and Biocontrol Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA;
| | - Man-Yeon Choi
- Horticultural Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;
| | - Zsanett Mikó
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (Formerly Affiliated with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), 1051 Budapest, Hungary; (Z.M.); (J.F.); (A.F.)
| | - József Fodor
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (Formerly Affiliated with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), 1051 Budapest, Hungary; (Z.M.); (J.F.); (A.F.)
| | - Adrien Fónagy
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (Formerly Affiliated with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), 1051 Budapest, Hungary; (Z.M.); (J.F.); (A.F.)
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14
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Ahmadi F, Mikani A, Moharramipour S. Induction of diapause by clock proteins period and timeless via changes in PTTH and ecdysteroid titer in the sugar beet moth, Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 107:e21790. [PMID: 33860953 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21790] [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: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The sugar beet moth, Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Boyd), one of the most severe sugar beet pests, causes quantitative and qualitative yield losses late in the autumn. Previously, it was shown that low temperature and short-day photoperiod together cause diapause induction in pupae. Here, the interaction of the critical elements of the diapause induction, including the period (PER), timeless (TIM), prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), and ecdysteroid titer, were investigated. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the number of period immunoreactivity (PER-ir) and TIM-ir cells in nondiapause pupae (NDP) was lower than in the brain of the diapause pupae (DP). Moreover, the number of PER-ir and TIM-ir cells in the protocerebrum and optic lobe (OL) of NDP was lower than DP. Moreover, lower PTTH content in the brain and hemolymph of DP was confirmed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Enzyme immunoassay showed a lower 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) titer in the hemolymph of the DP compared with the NDP. Within a short-day condition, PER and TIM titers increased in the brain leading to decreasing PTTH titers in the brain and hemolymph that caused decreasing 20E titer in the hemolymph, leading to the induction of diapause. This study suggests that PER and TIM could be one of the brain factors that play an essential role in regulating diapause in S. ocellatella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Mikani
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Moharramipour
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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15
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Wang X, Fan J, Zhou M, Gao G, Wei L, Kang L. Interactive effect of photoperiod and temperature on the induction and termination of embryonic diapause in the migratory locust. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:2854-2862. [PMID: 33538398 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6321] [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: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diapause plays a vital role in the survival and population reproduction of the migratory locust in temperate regions. Although some studies have suggested that photoperiod and temperature are two important environmental factors involved in the induction and termination of embryonic diapause in locusts, the independent or synergetic roles of these two factors are still unclear. RESULTS We designed crossover experiments to investigate the effects of photoperiod, temperature and treatment time on the induction and termination of embryonic diapause in locusts by optical coherence tomography (OCT), which can track the entire embryonic developmental process via noninvasive 3D real-time imaging. Diapause induction experiments showed that a short photoperiod (in adults) and a low egg treatment temperature are the most important prerequisites for inducing egg diapause. The diapause rate reached 90.7% when the adults were reared under a short photoperiod (8 L:16 D) and the eggs were treated at 22 °C. However, the adult rearing temperature had no significant effect on diapause induction. Analysis of variance also confirmed that there was a significant interactive effect between parental photoperiod and egg treatment temperature. Moreover, diapause termination experiments showed that 13 °C (near the developmental threshold temperature of 15 °C) for 20 days is the most effective condition for terminating diapause. CONCLUSION Our study provides accurate photoperiod and temperature thresholds for inducing and terminating diapause in the migratory locust, suggesting potential applications in the prediction and control of locust plagues. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Jiangling Fan
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Meng Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Ge Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Liya Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Kang
- College of Life Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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16
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Kaczmarek K, Pacholczyk-Sienicka B, Albrecht Ł, Zabrocki J, Nachman RJ. Solid-Phase Synthesis of an Insect Pyrokinin Analog Incorporating an Imidazoline Ring as Isosteric Replacement of a trans Peptide Bond. Molecules 2021; 26:3271. [PMID: 34071640 PMCID: PMC8198379 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A facile solid-phase synthetic method for incorporating the imidazoline ring motif, a surrogate for a trans peptide bond, into bioactive peptides is reported. The example described is the synthesis of an imidazoline peptidomimetic analog of an insect pyrokinin neuropeptide via a cyclization reaction of an iminium salt generated from the preceding amino acid and 2,4-diaminopropanoic acid (Dap).
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Kaczmarek
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, ARS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2881 F-B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Łódź, Poland; (B.P.-S.); (Ł.A.)
| | | | - Łukasz Albrecht
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Łódź, Poland; (B.P.-S.); (Ł.A.)
| | - Janusz Zabrocki
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, ARS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2881 F-B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Łódź, Poland; (B.P.-S.); (Ł.A.)
| | - Ronald J. Nachman
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, ARS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2881 F-B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA;
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17
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Choi MY, Vander Meer RK. GPCR-Based Bioactive Peptide Screening Using Phage-Displayed Peptides and an Insect Cell System for Insecticide Discovery. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11040583. [PMID: 33923387 PMCID: PMC8071521 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of new insecticides improves integrated pest management (IPM), but is usually a long high-risk process with a low probability of success. For over two decades, insect neuropeptides (NPs) and their G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been considered as biological targets for insect pest control, because they are involved in almost all physiological processes associated with insect life stages. A key roadblock to success has been the question of how large volume chemical libraries can be efficiently screened for active compounds. New genomic and proteomic tools have advanced and facilitated the development of new approaches to insecticide discovery. In this study, we report a novel GPCR-based screening technology that uses millions of short peptides randomly generated by bacteriophages, and a method using an insect Sf9 cell expression system. The fire ant is a good model system, since bioactive peptides have been identified for a specific GPCR. The novel small peptides could interfere with the target GPCR-ligand functions. Therefore, we refer to this new mechanism as “receptor interference” (RECEPTORi). The GPCR-based bioactive peptide screening method offers multiple advantages. Libraries of phage-displayed peptides (~109 peptides) are inexpensive. An insect cell-based screening system rapidly leads to target specific GPCR agonists or antagonists in weeks. Delivery of bioactive peptides to target pests can be flexible, such as topical, ingestion, and plant-incorporated protectants. A variety of GPCR targets are available, thus minimizing the development of potential insecticide resistance. This report provides the first proof-of-concept for the development of novel arthropod pest management strategies using neuropeptides, and GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Yeon Choi
- USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Robert K. Vander Meer
- USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA;
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18
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Alvarado-Delgado A, Martínez-Barnetche J, Téllez-Sosa J, Rodríguez MH, Gutiérrez-Millán E, Zumaya-Estrada FA, Saldaña-Navor V, Rodríguez MC, Tello-López Á, Lanz-Mendoza H. Prediction of neuropeptide precursors and differential expression of adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related peptide, hugin and corazonin in the brain of malaria vector Nyssorhynchus albimanus during a Plasmodium berghei infection. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:100014. [PMID: 36003598 PMCID: PMC9387463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2021.100014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
We describe precursors that predicted at least sixty neuropeptides in Ny. albimanus. At least 16 precursors are encoded in the Ny. albimanus brain. Myosuppressin neuropeptide precursor was identified in Ny albimanus. acp and hugin transcripts increased in Ny. albimanus brains infected with P. berghei.
Insect neuropeptides, play a central role in the control of many physiological processes. Based on an analysis of Nyssorhynchus albimanus brain transcriptome a neuropeptide precursor database of the mosquito was described. Also, we observed that adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related peptide (ACP), hugin and corazonin encoding genes were differentially expressed during Plasmodium infection. Transcriptomic data from Ny. albimanus brain identified 29 pre-propeptides deduced from the sequences that allowed the prediction of at least 60 neuropeptides. The predicted peptides include isoforms of allatostatin C, orcokinin, corazonin, adipokinetic hormone (AKH), SIFamide, capa, hugin, pigment-dispersing factor, adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related peptide (ACP), tachykinin-related peptide, trissin, neuropeptide F, diuretic hormone 31, bursicon, crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), allatotropin, allatostatin A, ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH), diuretic hormone 44 (Dh44), insulin-like peptides (ILPs) and eclosion hormone (EH). The analysis of the genome of An. albimanus and the generated transcriptome, provided evidence for the identification of myosuppressin neuropeptide precursor. A quantitative analysis documented increased expression of precursors encoding ACP peptide, hugin and corazonin in the mosquito brain after Plasmodium berghei infection. This work represents an initial effort to characterize the neuropeptide precursors repertoire of Ny. albimanus and provides information for understanding neuroregulation of the mosquito response during Plasmodium infection.
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19
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Lajevardi A, Paluzzi JPV. Receptor Characterization and Functional Activity of Pyrokinins on the Hindgut in the Adult Mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Front Physiol 2020; 11:490. [PMID: 32528310 PMCID: PMC7255104 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyrokinins are structurally related insect neuropeptides, characterized by their myotropic, pheromonotropic and melanotropic roles in some insects, but their function is unclear in blood-feeding arthropods. In the present study, we functionally characterized the pyrokinin-1 and pyrokinin-2 receptors (PK1-R and PK2-R, respectively), in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, using a heterologous cell system to characterize their selective and dose-responsive activation by members of two distinct pyrokinin subfamilies. We also assessed transcript-level expression of these receptors in adult organs and found the highest level of PK1-R transcript in the posterior hindgut (rectum) while PK2-R expression was enriched in the anterior hindgut (ileum) as well as in reproductive organs, suggesting these to be prominent target sites for their peptidergic ligands. In support of this, PRXa-like immunoreactivity (where X = V or L) was localized to innervation along the hindgut. Indeed, we identified a myoinhibitory role for a PK2 on the ileum where PK2-R transcript was enriched. However, although we found that PK1 did not influence myoactivity or Na+ transport in isolated recta, the PRXa-like immunolocalization terminating in close association to the rectal pads and the significant enrichment of PK1-R transcript in the rectum suggests this organ could be a target of PK1 signaling and may regulate the excretory system in this important disease vector species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Lajevardi
- Laboratory of Integrative Vector Neuroendocrinology, Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul V Paluzzi
- Laboratory of Integrative Vector Neuroendocrinology, Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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20
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Toprak U. The Role of Peptide Hormones in Insect Lipid Metabolism. Front Physiol 2020; 11:434. [PMID: 32457651 PMCID: PMC7221030 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids are the primary storage molecules and an essential source of energy in insects during reproduction, prolonged periods of flight, starvation, and diapause. The coordination center for insect lipid metabolism is the fat body, which is analogous to the vertebrate adipose tissue and liver. The fat body is primarily composed of adipocytes, which accumulate triacylglycerols in intracellular lipid droplets. Genomics and proteomics, together with functional analyses, such as RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9-targeted genome editing, identified various genes involved in lipid metabolism and elucidated their functions. However, the endocrine control of insect lipid metabolism, in particular the roles of peptide hormones in lipogenesis and lipolysis are relatively less-known topics. In the current review, the neuropeptides that directly or indirectly affect insect lipid metabolism are introduced. The primary lipolytic and lipogenic peptide hormones are adipokinetic hormone and the brain insulin-like peptides (ILP2, ILP3, ILP5). Other neuropeptides, such as insulin-growth factor ILP6, neuropeptide F, allatostatin-A, corazonin, leucokinin, tachykinins and limostatin, might stimulate lipolysis, while diapause hormone-pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide, short neuropeptide F, CCHamide-2, and the cytokines Unpaired 1 and Unpaired 2 might induce lipogenesis. Most of these peptides interact with one another, but mostly with insulin signaling, and therefore affect lipid metabolism indirectly. Peptide hormones are also involved in lipid metabolism during reproduction, flight, diapause, starvation, infections and immunity; these are also highlighted. The review concludes with a discussion of the potential of lipid metabolism-related peptide hormones in pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umut Toprak
- Molecular Entomology Lab., Department of Plant Protection Ankara, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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21
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Suang S, Hiruma K, Kaneko Y, Manaboon M. Diapause hormone directly stimulates the prothoracic glands of diapause larvae under juvenile hormone regulation in the bamboo borer, Omphisa fuscidentalis Hampson. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 102:e21603. [PMID: 31328828 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Larval diapause in many lepidopteran insects is induced and maintained by high juvenile hormone (JH). In the case of the bamboo borer, Omphisa fuscidentalis, the effect of JH is the opposite: The application of juvenile hormone analog (JHA: S-methoprene) terminates larval diapause, unlike in other insect species. Here, we analyzed the expression of JH-receptor Met, DH-PBAN, and Kr-h1 in the subesophageal ganglion (SG) from October to April using semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results show that OfMet and OfDH-PBAN messenger RNA in the SG are mainly expressed during the larval diapause stage, while OfKr-h1 increases during the pupal stage. Using tissue culture techniques and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), diapause hormone (DH) was found to induce ecdysteroidogenesis in the culture medium of the prothoracic gland (PG) after incubation for 30 min with 25 ng and 50 ng of DH. Thus, DH is a novel stimulator for the PG. We identified a DHR homolog in the bamboo borer and confirmed that it is expressed in the PG. In addition, for in vitro experiments, DH increased the expression levels of OfDHR, OfEcR-A, and ecdysone-inducible genes in the PG. These results demonstrate that DH can function as a prothoracicotropic factor, and this function of DH might be through of DHR expressed on PG cells. Consequently, DH is one of the key factors in larval diapause break which is triggered by JH in the bamboo borer, O. fuscidentalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suphawan Suang
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Endocrinology Research Laboratory, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kiyoshi Hiruma
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Yu Kaneko
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Manaporn Manaboon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Endocrinology Research Laboratory, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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22
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Hao K, Tu X, Ullah H, McNeill MR, Zhang Z. Novel Lom-dh Genes Play Potential Role in Promoting Egg Diapause of Locusta migratoria L. Front Physiol 2019; 10:767. [PMID: 31275172 PMCID: PMC6591537 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Diapause hormone (DH) neuropeptides in insects are produced by the genes belonging to pban/capa family. Previous studies show that DH contains a conserved sequence of WFGPRXa that plays vital role in diapause regulation of some Lepidopteran species. However, the function of DH in other species is still unknown. In order to expand our understanding of DH function in diapause induction, Lom-pban, Lom-capa, and five candidates DH precursor genes (Lom-dh1, Lom-dh2, Lom-dh3, Lom-dh4, Lom-dh5) of Locusta migratoria L. were subsequently cloned. We identified Lom-dh1 to Lom-dh5 as novel genes that encoded five types (type I–V) of 44 tandem repeats of DH-like neuropeptides, which might promote egg diapause of L. migratoria. To test this hypothesis, we identified four types of eight new neuropeptides encoded by Lom-dh using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry from the central neuron system of L. migratoria under both short (10:14 L:D) and long (16:8 L:D) photoperiods. Later on, we synthesized four type I DH-like neuropeptides, LDH1, SDH1, LDH2, and SDH2, encoded by Lom-dh2/Lom-dh3 and injected them into fifth instar female locusts. Egg diapause incidences were observed after female oviposition. The four DH-like neuropeptides significantly increased the incidence of egg diapause under the short photoperiod, but the response was absent under the long photoperiod. Injection of dsLom-dh into female adults of L. migratoria under the short photoperiod could inhibit egg diapause, with no response under the long photoperiod. This study identified a new member of pban/capa family being the second example beside Bombyx mori, where the DH showed significant role on maternal induction of diapause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Hao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiongbing Tu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hidayat Ullah
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Agriculture, University of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | | | - Zehua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Nardiello M, Salvia R, Scala A, Scieuzo C, Bufo SA, Franco A, Vogel H, di Somma A, Duilio A, Falabella P. Ecdysteroidogenesis in Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Recombinant Prothoracicotropic Hormone and Brain Extract Show Comparable Effects. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2019; 19:5521719. [PMID: 31225881 PMCID: PMC6587680 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iez057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) is a neuropeptide that triggers a cascade of events within the prothoracic gland (PG) cells, leading to the activation of all the crucial enzymes involved in ecdysone biosynthesis, the main insect steroid hormone. Studies concerning ecdysteroidogenesis predicted PTTH action using brain extract (BE), consisting in a complex mixture in which some components positively or negatively interfere with PTTH-stimulated ecdysteroidogenesis. Consequently, the integration of these opposing factors in steroidogenic tissues leads to a complex secretory pattern. A recombinant form of prothoracicotropic hormone (rPTTH) from the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was expressed and purified to perform in vitro tests in a standard and repeatable manner. A characterization of rPTTH primary and secondary structures was performed. The ability of rPTTH and H. virescens BE to stimulate ecdysteroidogenesis was investigated on the third day of fifth larval stage. rPTTH activity was compared with the BE mixture by enzyme immunoassay and western blot, revealing that they equally stimulate the production of significant amount of ecdysone, through a transduction cascade that includes the TOR pathway, by the phosphorylation of 4E binding protein (4E-BP) and S6 kinase (S6K), the main targets of TOR protein. The results of these experiments suggest the importance of obtaining a functional pure hormone to perform further studies, not depending on the crude brain extract, composed by different elements and susceptible to different uncontrollable variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Nardiello
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Rosanna Salvia
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Andrea Scala
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Carmen Scieuzo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Sabino Aurelio Bufo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Antonio Franco
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Angela di Somma
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Napoli, Italy
| | - Angela Duilio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University Federico II of Naples, Napoli, Italy
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24
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Choi MY, Vander Meer RK. Phenotypic Effects of PBAN RNAi Using Oral Delivery of dsRNA to Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Tobacco Budworm Larvae. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 112:434-439. [PMID: 30508147 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toy356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Insect neuropeptides represent more than 90% of all insect hormones. The pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN)/pyrokinin family is a major group of insect neuropeptides. These neuropeptides regulate a variety of biological functions from embryo to adult in moths including, sex pheromone biosynthesis and diapause. Other functions are yet to be determined. The identification of suitable target genes is most important for the successful application of RNA interference (RNAi) for pest insect control. Insect neuropeptide genes including PBAN are known to have multiple functions and could be a good target for RNAi suppression. In this study, we selected the PBAN gene and its neuropeptide products as an RNAi target for two economically important moth species, the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius). We investigated RNAi effects on immature moths that had ingested the specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) starting at the first instar larva through pupation. We report that RNAi treatments resulted in delay of larval growth, interference of pupal development, and mortality in the two pest moths. In addition, we selected small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to determine if they have negative phenotypic effects similar to their full-length RNAi parents. This is one of the few examples of negative RNAi effects on lepidopteran pests via feeding and suggests possible RNAi-based control of pest moths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Yeon Choi
- Horticultural Crops Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Corvallis, OR
| | - Robert K Vander Meer
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE), USDA-ARS, Gainesville, FL
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25
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Ahn SJ, Choi MY. Identification and characterization of capa and pyrokinin genes in the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera): Gene structure, immunocytochemistry, and differential expression. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 99:e21500. [PMID: 30188567 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
CAPA and pyrokinin (PK) neuropeptides are produced from two different genes, capa and pyrokinin, respectively. In this study, we identified and characterized the capa and pyrokinin genes from the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera). The capa gene encodes two CAPA-PVK (periviscerokinin) peptides (DAGLFPFPRVamide and EQLIPFPRVamide) and one CAPA-DH (diapause hormone; NGASGNGGLWFGPRLamide). The pyrokinin gene encodes three PK2 peptides (QLVSFRPRLamide, SPPFAPRLamide, and FYAPFSPRLamide). The whole-mounting immunocytochemistry revealed the neurons contained PRXamide-like peptides throughout the cerebral ganglia (CRG), gnathal ganglia (GNG), thoracic ganglia (TG), and abdominal ganglia (AG). A pair of neurosecretory cells in the CRG and three cell clusters in the GNG were found with the axonal projections extended through the lateral side. A pair of immunostained cells were found in the TG, while three pairs of cells were present in the fused AG. Different expression patterns of capa and pyrokinin genes were observed in the CRG-GNG, TG, and AG. The capa gene was highly expressed in the AG tissue, whereas the pyrokinin gene was strongly expressed in the CRG-GNG. Interestingly, different developmental stages showed similar expressions of both genes, with the highest from the first nymph, gradually decreasing to the female adult. Comparison of peptide sequences encoded from pyrokinin genes showed the PK1 peptide is lost in Heteroptera suborders including H. halys, but retained in other suborders. The missing PK1 from the pyrokinin gene might be compensated by CAPA-DH (=PK1-like) produced by the capa gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Joon Ahn
- USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, Oregon
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Man-Yeon Choi
- USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, Oregon
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Chang JC, Ramasamy S. Transcriptome analysis in the beet webworm, Spoladea recurvalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:33-44. [PMID: 27433928 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The beet webworm, Spoladea recurvalis Fabricius, is a destructive pest on vegetable crops in tropics and subtropics; its main host plant is amaranth. It has become imperative to develop non-chemical methods to control S. recurvalis on amaranth. However, the lack of molecular information about this species has hindered the development of novel pest management strategies. In this study, high-throughput RNA sequencing covering de novo sequence assemblies, functional annotation of transcripts, gene function classification and enrichment was performed on S. recurvalis. Illumina sequencing generated a total of 120 435 transcript contigs ranging from 201 to 22 729 bases with a mean length of 688 bases. The assembled transcripts were subjected to Basic Local Alignment Search Tool-X (BLASTX) to obtain the annotations against non-redundant, Swiss-Prot, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) protein databases. A subset of 58 225 transcript sequences returned hits from known proteins in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and the majority of the transcript sequences had the highest number of hits for Danaus plexippus (50.43%). A total of 1217 Gene Ontology-level 3 annotations were assigned to 51 805 transcripts, while 39 650 transcripts were predicted as functional protein-coding genes in the COG database and 20 037 transcripts were enriched to KEGG pathways. We identified 40 putative genes related to pheromone production and reception in S. recurvalis, with the expression of one gene between 0.29 and 1141.79 fragments per kilo base per million (FPKM) reads. The transcriptome sequence of S. recurvalis is a first step toward offering a comprehensive genomic resource which would enable better understanding of molecular mechanisms to enable development of effective pest management practices for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Cheng Chang
- AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center, Shanhua, Tainan, Taiwan, China
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Ragionieri L, Özbagci B, Neupert S, Salts Y, Davidovitch M, Altstein M, Predel R. Identification of mature peptides from pban and capa genes of the moths Heliothis peltigera and Spodoptera littoralis. Peptides 2017; 94:1-9. [PMID: 28502715 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
By transcriptome analysis, we identified PBAN and CAPA precursors in the moths Spodoptera littoralis and Heliothis peltigera which are among the most damaging pests of agriculture in tropical and subtropical Africa as well as in Mediterranean countries. A combination of mass spectrometry and immunocytochemistry was used to identify mature peptides processed from these precursors and to reveal their spatial distribution in the CNS. We found that the sites of expression of pban genes, the structure of PBAN precursors and the processed neuropeptides are very similar in noctuid moths. The sequence of the diapause hormone (DH; tryptopyrokinin following the signal peptide), however, contains two N-terminal amino acids more than expected from comparison with already published sequences of related species. Capa genes of S. littoralis and H. peltigera encode, in addition to periviscerokinins, a tryptopyrokinin showing sequence similarity with DH, which is the tryptopyrokinin of the pban gene. CAPA peptides, which were not known from any noctuid moth so far, are produced in cells of abdominal ganglia. The shape of the release sites of these hormones in H. peltigera represents an exceptionally derived trait state and does not resemble the well-structured abdominal perisympathetic organs which are known from many other insects. Instead, axons of CAPA cells extensively ramify within the ventral diaphragm. The novel information regarding the sequences of all mature peptides derived from pban and capa genes of H. peltigera and S. littoralis now enables a detailed analysis of the bioactivity and species-specificity of the native peptides, especially those from the hitherto unknown capa genes, and to explore their interactions with PBAN/DH receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lapo Ragionieri
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, Functional Peptidomics Group, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Burak Özbagci
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, Functional Peptidomics Group, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Susanne Neupert
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, Functional Peptidomics Group, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Yuval Salts
- Department of Entomology, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | | | - Miriam Altstein
- Department of Entomology, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - Reinhard Predel
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, Functional Peptidomics Group, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
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28
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Zhou Z, Li Y, Yuan C, Doucet D, Zhang Y, Qu L. Overexpression of TAT-PTD-diapause hormone fusion protein in tobacco and its effect on the larval development of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2017; 73:1197-1203. [PMID: 27644054 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4443] [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: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diapause hormone (DH) has been shown either to induce or to terminate diapause, depending on the insect species. In a previous study we demonstrated that the DH from Clostera anastomosis (caDH) has biological activity in Helicoverpa armigera, which prompted us to examine the potential growth-inhibiting or antiherbivory effects of the TAT-caDH fusion protein when expressed in transgenic plants. RESULTS In this study, we produced transgenic tobacco plants expressing either the TAT-caDH protein or a TAT-caDH-eGFP fusion version that allowed tracking of the fluorescent protein in plant tissues. Our results indicate that H. armigera larvae feeding on transgenic tobacco expressing TAT-caDH exhibited a significantly reduced survival rate and weight gain. However, larvae feeding on transgenic tobacco expressing TAT-caDH-eGFP were unaffected. While fusion of the eGFP gene influenced the bioactivity of caDH in larvae, TAT-caDH-eGFP can still penetrate the insect midgut cell membrane. CONCLUSION TAT-caDH increases DH stability in oral delivery. Our results may help in targeting DH-dependent physiological processes in insects for improving herbivore tolerance in economically important crops. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Zhou
- College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Yongli Li
- College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Chunyan Yuan
- College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Daniel Doucet
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Sault Sainte Marie, ON, Canada
| | - Yongan Zhang
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Liangjian Qu
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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29
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Ye HL, Li DR, Yang JS, Chen DF, De Vos S, Vuylsteke M, Sorgeloos P, Van Stappen G, Bossier P, Nagasawa H, Yang WJ. Molecular characterization and functional analyses of a diapause hormone receptor-like gene in parthenogenetic Artemia. Peptides 2017; 90:100-110. [PMID: 28174072 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In arthropods, mature females under certain conditions produce and release encysted gastrula embryos that enter diapause, a state of obligate dormancy. The process is presumably regulated by diapause hormone (DH) and diapause hormone receptor (DHR) that were identified in the silkworm, Bombyx mori and other insects. However, the molecular structure and function of DHR in crustaceans remains unknown. Here, a DHR-like gene from parthenogenetic Artemia (Ar-DHR) was isolated and sequenced. The cDNA sequence consists of 1410bp with a 1260-bp open reading frame encoding a protein consisting of 420 amino acid residues. The results of real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis showed that the mRNA and protein of Ar-DHR were mainly expressed at the diapause stage. Furthermore, we found that Ar-DHR was located on the cell membrane of the pre-diapause cyst but in the cytoplasm of the diapause cyst by analysis of immunofluorescence. In vivo knockdown of Ar-DHR by RNA interference (RNAi) and antiserum neutralization consistently inhibited diapause cysts formation. The results indicated that Ar-DHR plays an important role in the induction and maintenance of embryonic diapause in Artemia. Thus, our findings provide an insight into the regulation of diapause formation in Artemia and the function of Ar-DHR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Li Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China
| | - Dong-Rui Li
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China
| | - Jin-Shu Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China
| | - Dian-Fu Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China
| | - Stephanie De Vos
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Marnik Vuylsteke
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Patrick Sorgeloos
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Gilbert Van Stappen
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Peter Bossier
- Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Hiromichi Nagasawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Wei-Jun Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China.
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Jiang X, Yang J, Shen Z, Chen Y, Shi L, Zhou N. Agonist-mediated activation of Bombyx mori diapause hormone receptor signals to extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 through Gq-PLC-PKC-dependent cascade. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 75:78-88. [PMID: 27318251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Diapause is a developmental strategy adopted by insects to survive in challenging environments such as the low temperatures of a winter. This unique process is regulated by diapause hormone (DH), which is a neuropeptide hormone that induces egg diapause in Bombyx mori and is involved in terminating pupal diapause in heliothis moths. An G protein-coupled receptor from the silkworm, B. mori, has been identified as a specific cell surface receptor for DH. However, the detailed information on the DH-DHR system and its mechanism(s) involved in the induction of embryonic diapause remains unknown. Here, we combined functional assays with various specific inhibitors to elucidate the DHR-mediated signaling pathways. Upon activation by DH, B. mori DHR is coupled to the Gq protein, leading to a significant increase of intracellular Ca(2+) and cAMP response element-driven luciferase activity in an UBO-QIC, a specific Gq inhibitor, sensitive manner. B. mori DHR elicited ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a dose- and time-dependent manner in response to DH. This effect was almost completely inhibited by co-incubation with UBO-QIC and was also significantly suppressed by PLC inhibitor U73122, PKC inhibitors Gö6983 and the Ca(2+) chelator EGTA. Moreover, DHR-induced activation of ERK1/2 was significantly attenuated by treatment with the Gβγ specific inhibitors gallein and M119K and the PI3K specific inhibitor Wortmannin, but not by the Src specific inhibitor PP2. Our data also demonstrates that the EGFR-transactivation pathway is not involved in the DHR-mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Future efforts are needed to clarify the role of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway in the DH-mediated induction of B. mori embryonic diapause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jiang
- Department of Economic Zoology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jingwen Yang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang 316022, China
| | - Zhangfei Shen
- Department of Economic Zoology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yajie Chen
- Department of Economic Zoology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Liangen Shi
- Department of Economic Zoology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Naiming Zhou
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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Pupal diapause termination in Bactrocera minax: an insight on 20-hydroxyecdysone induced phenotypic and genotypic expressions. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27440. [PMID: 27273028 PMCID: PMC4897610 DOI: 10.1038/srep27440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chinese citrus fruit fly, Bactrocera minax, is an economically important pest of citrus. It exhibits pupal diapause from November to May to combat harsh environmental conditions. Such a long pupal diapause is a barrier for laboratory rearing and development of control strategies against this pest. In the present study, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) was used to break pupal diapause of B. minax by topical application. After diapause termination by 20E treated, the pupal ontogenetic processes were observed along the temporal trajectory. The pupal response time to 20E was estimated by detecting the relative expression of 20E responsive genes at different times after 20E-treatment. Results revealed that 20E could effectively terminate the pupal diapause in a dose-dependent manner and significantly shorten the time for 50% adult emergence (Et50). 20E response genes, including ecr, broad and foxo, were up-regulated within 72h, indicating these genes are involved in pupal metamorphosis and diapause termination processes. Morphological changes showed the pupal metamorphosis began ~7 days after 20E-treatment at 22 °C. This study does not only pave the way for artificial rearing in the laboratory through manipulating of pupal diapause termination, but also deepens our understanding of the underlying pupal diapause termination mechanism of B. minax.
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32
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Hao YJ, Zhang YJ, Si FL, Fu DY, He ZB, Chen B. Insight into the possible mechanism of the summer diapause of Delia antiqua (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) through digital gene expression analysis. INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 23:438-51. [PMID: 26826557 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The onion fly, Delia antiqua, is a major underground agricultural pest that can enter pupal diapause in the summer and winter seasons. However, little is known about its molecular regulation due to the lack of genomic resources. To gain insight into the possible mechanism of summer diapause (SD), high-throughput RNA-Seq data were generated from non-diapause (ND) and SD (initial, maintenance and quiescence phase) pupae. Three pair-wise comparisons were performed and identified, 1380, 1471 and 435, and were significantly regulated transcripts. Further analysis revealed that the enrichment of several functional terms related to juvenile hormone regulation, cell cycle, carbon hydrate and lipid metabolism, innate immune and stress responses, various signalling transductions, ubiquitin-dependent proteosome, and variation in cuticular and cytoskeleton components were found between ND and SD and between different phases of SD. Global characterization of transcriptome profiling between SD and ND contributes to the in-depth elucidation of the molecular mechanism of SD. Our results also offer insights into the evolution of insect diapause and support the importance of using the onion fly as a model to compare the molecular regulation events of summer and winter diapauses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng-Ling Si
- Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dan-Ying Fu
- Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zheng-Bo He
- Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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Verdonck R, De Haes W, Cardoen D, Menschaert G, Huhn T, Landuyt B, Baggerman G, Boonen K, Wenseleers T, Schoofs L. Fast and Reliable Quantitative Peptidomics with labelpepmatch. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:1080-9. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gerben Menschaert
- Research
Group of Bio-informatics and Computational Genomics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Huhn
- Chemistry
Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Geert Baggerman
- CFP/CeProMa, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
- Applied Bio & Molecular Systems, Vito, Mol, Belgium
| | - Kurt Boonen
- Biology
Department, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Qi X, Zhang L, Han Y, Ren X, Huang J, Chen H. De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of Coccinella septempunctata L. in non-diapause, diapause and diapause-terminated states to identify diapause-associated genes. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:1086. [PMID: 26689283 PMCID: PMC4687109 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2309-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most common ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L., is an excellent predator of crop pests such as aphids and white flies, and it shows a wide range of adaptability, a large appetite and a high reproductive ability. Diapause research plays an important role in the artificial propagation and shelf-life extension of insect products. Although this lady beetle's regulatory, physiological and biochemical characteristics in the diapause period are well understood, the molecular mechanism of diapause remains unknown. Therefore, we collected female adults in three different states, i.e., non-diapause, diapause and diapause termination, for transcriptome sequencing. RESULTS After transcriptome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform with pretreatment, a total of 417.6 million clean reads from nine samples were filtered using the program FASTX (version 0.0). Additionally, 106,262 contigs were assembled into 82,820 unigenes with an average length of 921 bp and an N50 of 1,241 bp. All of the unigenes were annotated through BLASTX alignment against the Nr or UniProt database, and 37,872 unigenes were matched. We performed further analysis of these unigenes using the Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), Gene Ontology (GO), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Through pairwise comparisons of the non-diapause (ND), diapause (D), and diapause-terminated (DT) groups, 3,501 and 1,427 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between D and ND and between DT and D, respectively. Moreover, 443 of the DEGs were specifically expressed during the diapause period (i.e., DEGs that were expressed at the highest or lowest levels during diapause compared with the other stages). GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment were performed on all DEGs and showed that RNA-directed DNA polymerase activity and fatty acid metabolism were significantly affected. Furthermore, eight specific expressed genes were selected for validation using qRT-PCR. Among these eight genes, seven genes were up-regulated, and one gene was down-regulated; the change trends of the eight genes were the same between the qRT-PCR and RNA-seq analysis results. CONCLUSIONS In this study, a new method for collecting and identifying diapause insects was described. We generated a vast quantity of transcriptome data from C. septempunctata L., providing a resource for gene function research. The diapause-associated genes that we identified establish a foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms of diapause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Qi
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beijing, 100081, China. .,Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Lisheng Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Yanhua Han
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Xiaoyun Ren
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Jian Huang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
| | - Hongyin Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-American Biological Control Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beijing, 100081, China.
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Zhang Q, Nachman RJ, Kaczmarek K, Kierus K, Zabrocki J, Denlinger DL. Development of neuropeptide analogs capable of traversing the integument: A case study using diapause hormone analogs in Helicoverpa zea. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 67:87-93. [PMID: 25753318 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Diapause hormone and its analogs terminate pupal diapause in Helicoverpa zea when injected, but if such agents are to be used as effective diapause disruptors it will be essential to develop simple techniques for administering active compounds that can exert their effect by penetrating the insect epidermis. In the current study, we used two molecules previously shown to have high diapause-terminating activity as lead molecules to rationally design and synthesize new amphiphilic compounds with modified hydrophobic components. An assay for diapause termination identified 13 active compounds with EC50's ranging from 0.9 to 46.0 pmol per pupa. Three compounds, Decyl-1963, Dodecyl-1967, and Heptyl-1965, selected from the 13 compounds most active in breaking diapause following injection, also successfully prevented newly-formed pupae from entering diapause when applied topically. These compounds feature straight-chain, aliphatic hydrocarbons from 7 to 12 carbons in length; DH analogs with either a short-chain length of 4 or an aromatic phenethyl group failed to act topically. Compared to a high diapause incidence of 80-90% in controls, diapause incidence in pupae receiving a 10 nmole topical application of Decyl-1963, Dodecyl-1967, or Heptyl-1965 dropped to 30-45%. Decyl-1963 and Dodecyl-1967 also remained effective when topically applied at the 1 nmole level. These results suggest the feasibility of developing DH agonists that can be applied topically and suggest the identity of new lead molecules for development of additional topically-active DH analogs. The ability to penetrate the insect epidermis and/or midgut lining is critical if such agents are to be considered for future use as pest management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ronald J Nachman
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
| | - Krzysztof Kaczmarek
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, College Station, TX 77845, USA; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kierus
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, College Station, TX 77845, USA; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Janusz Zabrocki
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, College Station, TX 77845, USA; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - David L Denlinger
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Zhang Q, Nachman RJ, Denlinger DL. Diapause hormone in the Helicoverpa/Heliothis complex: A review of gene expression, peptide structure and activity, analog and antagonist development, and the receptor. Peptides 2015; 72:196-201. [PMID: 26032331 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes recent studies focusing on diapause hormone (DH) in the Helicoverpa/Heliothis complex of agricultural pests. Moths in this complex overwinter in pupal diapause, a form of developmental arrest used to circumvent unfavorable seasons. DH was originally reported in the silkmoth Bombyx mori, a species that relies on DH to induce an embryonic diapause. But, in the case of Helicoverpa/Heliothis, levels of dh transcripts and DH peptides are more abundant in nondiapausing pupae than in diapausing individuals, and DH effectively terminates diapause within a specific temperature range. A structure activity relationship study indicated that the active core of DH is the C-terminal hepta-peptide, LWFGPRLa. We designed and synthesized a first generation of DH agonists and identified two agonists (PK-2Abf and PK-Etz) that were nearly 50- and 13-fold more potent than the native hormone. These studies revealed two structural characteristics of DH and its agonists that are essential for interaction with the receptor: a trans-Pro configuration to form a type I β-turn and a hydrophobic moiety involved in ligand binding. Modification of DH at the active core yielded a potent DH antagonist (DH-Jo, acetyl-GLWA[Jo]RLa) as well as an agonist (DH-2Abf-K). Three compounds (Decyl-1963, Dodecyl-1967, Heptyl-1965) were identified as agents capable of penetrating the cuticle of young pupae and thereby preventing the entry into diapause. DH receptor cDNA was cloned and an effective in vitro high throughput screen system was established for future use. This work sets the stage for further development of DH analogs and antagonists that have the potential to disrupt insect diapause as a tool for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ronald J Nachman
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 2881 F&B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
| | - David L Denlinger
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Zhou Z, Li Y, Yuan C, Zhang Y, Qu L. Oral Administration of TAT-PTD-Diapause Hormone Fusion Protein Interferes With Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Development. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2015; 15:iev102. [PMID: 26320262 PMCID: PMC4672221 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iev102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Diapause hormone (DH), which can terminate diapause in Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has shown promise as a pest control method. However, the main challenge in using DH as an insecticide lies in achieving effective oral delivery, since the peptide may be degraded by digestive enzymes in the gut. To improve the efficacy of oral DH application, the Clostera anastomosis (L.) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) diapause hormone (caDH) was fused to the Protein Transduction Domain (PTD) of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 transactivator of transcription (TAT). Cellular transduction of TAT-caDH was verified with the use of a green fluorescent protein fusion, and its ability to terminate diapause was verified by injection into diapausing H. armigera pupae. Orally administered TAT-caDH resulted in larval growth inhibition. In TAT-caDH-treated insects, larval duration was delayed and the pupation rates were decreased at both development promoting conditions [27 °C, a photoperiod of 14:10(L:D) h] and diapause inducing conditions [20 °C, a photoperiod of 10:14(L:D) h]. No significant difference in diapause rate was observed between the TAT-caDH-treated and caDH-treated or control pupae maintained at diapause inducing conditions. Our results show that treatment with a recombinant TAT-caDH protein can affect larval development in H. armigera, and it suggest that TAT-DH treatment may be useful for controlling pests. This study is the first record of oral DH application in insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Zhou
- College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongli Li
- College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunyan Yuan
- College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongan Zhang
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, People's Republic of China
| | - Liangjian Qu
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, People's Republic of China
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Lu Q, Huang LY, Chen P, Yu JF, Xu J, Deng JY, Ye H. Identification and RNA Interference of the Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide (PBAN) in the Common Cutworm Moth Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 108:1344-1353. [PMID: 26470263 DOI: 10.1093/jee/tov108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Spodoptera litura F. is one of the most destructive insect pests of many agricultural crops and notorious for developing insecticide resistance. Developing environmental friendly control methods such as novel pheromone and RNAi-related control strategies is imperative to control this pest. In the present study, the full-length cDNA encoding the diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (DH-PBAN) was identified and characterized in S. litura. This 809-bp transcript contains a 573-nucleotide ORF encoding a 191-amino acid protein, from which five putative neuropeptides, including PBAN, DH, and α-, β-, and γ-subesophageal ganglion neuropeptides, were derived. Phylogenetic analysis showed that both the whole protein and each of the five neuropeptides have high similarities to those of DH-PBANs from other insect orders particularly Lepidoptera. Females treated with TKYFSPRLamide (the active core fragment of PBAN) produced significantly more four types of pheromone compounds (A; B; C; D) than controls. RNA interference by injection of PBAN dsRNA significantly reduced the relative expression levels of this gene in adult females (approximately reduced by 60%). As a consequence, females treated with PBAN dsRNA produced significantly less four types of pheromone compounds (A; B; C; D) than controls. These results suggest that PBAN function in activating sex pheromone biosynthesis and the RNAi of DH-PBAN gene can be induced by the injection of dsRNA into the body cavity in S. litura. This study suggests the possibility of novel pheromone-related pest control strategies based on RNAi techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Lu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China. Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China. These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ling-Yan Huang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China. These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Peng Chen
- Yunnan Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650201, P.R. China
| | - Jin-Feng Yu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
| | - Jin Xu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China.
| | - Jian-Yu Deng
- Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture and Food Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
| | - Hui Ye
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, P.R. China
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Yang Y, Nachman RJ, Pietrantonio PV. Molecular and pharmacological characterization of the Chelicerata pyrokinin receptor from the southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 60:13-23. [PMID: 25747529 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We identified the first pyrokinin receptor (Rhimi-PKR) in Chelicerata and analyzed structure-activity relationships of cognate ligand neuropeptides and their analogs. Based on comparative and phylogenetic analyses, this receptor, which we cloned from larvae of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae), is the ortholog of the insect pyrokinin (PK)/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN)/diapause hormone (DH) neuropeptide family receptor. Rhimi-PKR functional analyses using calcium bioluminescence were performed with a developed stable recombinant CHO-K1 cell line. Rhimi-PKR was activated by four endogenous PKs from the Lyme disease vector, the tick Ixodes scapularis (EC50s range: 85.4 nM-546 nM), and weakly by another tick PRX-amide peptide, periviscerokinin (PVK) (EC50 = 24.5 μM). PK analogs with substitutions of leucine, isoleucine or valine at the C-terminus for three tick PK peptides, Ixosc-PK1, Ixosc-PK2, and Ixosc-PK3, retained their potency on Rhimi-PKR. Therefore, Rhimi-PKR is less selective and substantially more tolerant than insect PK receptors of C-terminal substitutions of leucine to isoleucine or valine, a key structural feature that serves to distinguish insect PK from PVK/CAP2b receptors. In females, ovary and synganglion had the highest Rhimi-PKR relative transcript abundance followed by the rectal sac, salivary glands, Malpighian tubules, and midgut. This is the first pharmacological analysis of a PK/PBAN/DH-like receptor from the Chelicerata, which will now permit the discovery of the endocrinological roles of this neuropeptide family in vectors of vertebrate pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Yang
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2475, USA
| | - Ronald J Nachman
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX 77845, USA
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Functional phylogenetics reveals contributions of pleiotropic peptide action to ligand-receptor coevolution. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6800. [PMID: 25348027 PMCID: PMC4210869 DOI: 10.1038/srep06800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of peptidergic signaling has been accompanied by a significant degree of ligand-receptor coevolution. Closely related clusters of peptide signaling molecules are observed to activate related groups of receptors, implying that genes encoding these ligands may orchestrate an array of functions, a phenomenon known as pleiotropy. Here we examine whether pleiotropic actions of peptide genes might influence ligand-receptor coevolution. Four test groups of neuropeptides characterized by conserved C-terminal amino acid sequence motifs and their cognate receptors were examined in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum): 1) cardioacceleratory peptide 2b (CAPA); CAPAr, 2) pyrokinin/diapause hormone (PK1/DH); PKr-A, -B, 3) pyrokinin/pheromone biosynthesis activating hormone (PK2/PBAN); PKr-C, and 4) ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH); ETHr-b. Ligand-receptor specificities were established through heterologous expression of receptors in cell-based assays for 9 endogenous ligands. Based on ligand-receptor specificity analysis, we found positive pleiotropism exhibited by ETH on ETHR-b and CAPAr, whereas PK1/DH and CAPA are more highly selective for their respective authentic receptors than would be predicted by phylogenetic analysis. Disparities between evolutionary trees deduced from receptor sequences vs. functional ligand-receptor specificities lead to the conclusion that pleiotropy exhibited by peptide genes influences ligand-receptor coevolution.
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Jiang H, Wei Z, Nachman RJ, Park Y. Molecular cloning and functional characterization of the diapause hormone receptor in the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea. Peptides 2014; 53:243-9. [PMID: 24257143 PMCID: PMC3989431 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The diapause hormone (DH) in the heliothine moth has shown its activity in termination of pupal diapause, while the orthology in the silkworm is known to induce embryonic diapause. In the current study, we cloned the diapause hormone receptor from the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea (HzDHr) and tested its ligand specificities in a heterologous reporter system. HzDHr was expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, which were co-transfected with the aequorin reporter, and was used to measure the ligand activities. A total of 68 chemicals, including natural DH analogs and structurally similar peptide mimetics, were tested for agonistic and antagonistic activities. Several peptide mimetics with a 2-amino-7-bromofluorene-succinoyl (2Abf-Suc) N-terminal modification showed strong agonistic activities; these mimetics included 2Abf-Suc-F[dA]PRLamide, 2Abf-Suc-F[dR]PRLamide, 2Abf-Suc-FKPRLamide and 2Abf-Suc-FGPRLamide. Antagonistic activity was found in the ecdysis triggering hormone in Drosophila melanogaster (FFLKITKNVPRLamide). Interestingly, HzDHr does not discriminate between DH (WFGPRLamide C-terminal motif) and another closely related endogenous peptide, pyrokinin 1 (FXPRXamide; a C-terminal motif that is separate from WFGPRLamide). We provide large-scale in vitro data that serve as a reference for the development of agonists and antagonists to disrupt the DH signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Jiang
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Zhaojun Wei
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States
| | - Ronald J Nachman
- Areawide Pest Management Research, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, USDA, 2881 F/B Road, College Station, TX 77845, United States
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States.
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Zhang Q, Piermarini PM, Nachman RJ, Denlinger DL. Molecular identification and expression analysis of a diapause hormone receptor in the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea. Peptides 2014; 53:250-7. [PMID: 24345336 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Diapause hormone (DH) is an insect neuropeptide that is highly effective in terminating the overwintering pupal diapause in members of the Helicoverpa/Heliothis complex of agricultural pests, thus DH and related compounds have promise as tools for pest management. To augment our development of effective DH analogs and antagonists that could be used as diapause disruptors this study focuses on the cloning and identification of the DH receptor (DHR) in the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea. The full-length dhr cDNA contains 2153 nucleotides encoding 511 amino acids. Our results suggest there are at least two splicing variants of Hezea-DHR. Hydrophobicity analysis and sequence alignment indicate that Hezea-DHR has 7 transmembrane regions and a highly conserved C-terminal region that is also present in related receptors. Hezea-DHR has 95%, 82% and 79% identity to a partial DHR sequence from Heliothis virescens, a full-length DHR in Orgyia thyellina, and DHR-1 in Bombyx mori, but only 45-49% identity to pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide receptor (PBANR). Expression of dhr mRNA remained low in whole body extracts throughout diapause and in young nondiapausing pupae, but was distinctly elevated as development ensued in pharate adults 7 days after pupation. The highest expression of dhr mRNA we noted was in the ovary. A DHR fusion protein with enhanced-green fluorescent protein was successfully expressed heterologously in X. laevis oocytes, as verified by fluorescent imaging and Western blots, but an electrophysiological assay failed to detect receptor-ligand binding activity, which suggests that an essential cofactor and/or accessory protein is required for functional activity of the DHR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Peter M Piermarini
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Ronald J Nachman
- Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - David L Denlinger
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Hellmich E, Nusawardani T, Bartholomay L, Jurenka R. Pyrokinin/PBAN-like peptides in the central nervous system of mosquitoes. Cell Tissue Res 2014; 356:39-47. [PMID: 24458703 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-013-1782-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The pyrokinin/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) family of peptides is characterized by a common C-terminal pentapeptide, FXPRLamide, which is required for diverse physiological functions in various insects. Polyclonal antisera against the C-terminus was utilized to determine the location of cell bodies and axons in the central nervous systems of larval and adult mosquitoes. Immunoreactive material was detected in three groups of neurons in the subesophageal ganglion of larvae and adults. The corpora cardiaca of both larvae and adults contained immunoreactivity indicating potential release into circulation. The adult and larval brains had at least one pair of immunoreactive neurons in the protocerebrum with the adult brain having additional immunoreactive neurons in the dorsal medial part of the protocerebrum. The ventral ganglia of both larvae and adults each contained one pair of neurons that sent their axons to a perisympathetic organ associated with each abdominal ganglion. These results indicate that the mosquito nervous system contains pyrokinin/PBAN-like peptides and that these peptides could be released into the hemolymph. The peptides in insects and mosquitoes are produced by two genes, capa and pk/pban. Utilizing PCR protocols, we demonstrate that products of the capa gene could be produced in the abdominal ventral ganglia and the products of the pk/pban gene could be produced in the subesophageal ganglion. Two receptors for pyrokinin peptides were differentially localized to various tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Hellmich
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011-3222, USA
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Identification and expression analysis of diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (DH-PBAN) in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84916. [PMID: 24409312 PMCID: PMC3883689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides play essential roles in a variety of physiological responses that contribute to the development and reproduction of insects. Both the diapause hormone (DH) and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) belong to the PBAN/pyrokinin neuropeptide family, which has a conserved pentapeptide motif FXPRL at the C-terminus. We identified the full-length cDNA encoding DH-PBAN in Maruca vitrata, a major lepidopteran pest of leguminous crops. The open reading frame of Marvi-DH-PBAN is 591 bp in length, encoding 197 amino acids, from which five putative neuropeptides [DH, PBAN, α-subesophageal ganglion neuropeptide (SGNP), β-SGNP and γ-SGNP] are derived. Marvi-DH-PBAN was highly similar (83%) to DH-PBAN of Omphisa fuscidentalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), but possesses a unique C-terminal FNPRL motif, where asparagine has replaced a serine residue present in other lepidopteran PBAN peptides. The genomic DNA sequence of Marvi-DH-PBAN is 6,231 bp in size and is composed of six exons. Phylogenetic analysis has revealed that the Marvi-DH-PBAN protein sequence is closest to its homolog in Crambidae, but distant from Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera DH-PBAN, which agrees with the current taxonomy. DH-PBAN transcripts were present in the head and thoracic complex, but absent in the abdomen of M. vitrata. Real-time quantitative PCR assays have demonstrated a relatively higher expression of Marvi-DH-PBAN mRNA in the latter half of the pupal stages and in adults. These findings represent a significant step forward in our understanding of the DH-PBAN gene architecture and phylogeny, and raise the possibility of using Marvi-DH-PBAN to manage M. vitrata populations through molecular techniques.
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Choi MY, Estep A, Sanscrainte N, Becnel J, Vander Meer RK. Identification and expression of PBAN/diapause hormone and GPCRs from Aedes aegypti. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2013; 375:113-20. [PMID: 23727337 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides control various physiological functions and constitute more than 90% of insect hormones. The pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN)/pyrokinin family is a major group of insect neuropeptides and is well conserved in Insecta. This family of peptides has at least two closely related G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activated by PBAN and a diapause hormone (DH). They have been shown to control several biological activities including pheromone production and diapause induction in moths. However, beyond some moth species, the biological function(s) of PBAN/pyrokinin peptides are largely unknown although these peptides are found in all insects. In this study we identified and characterized PBAN/pyrokinin peptides and corresponding GPCRs from the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Ae. aegypti PBAN mRNA encodes four putative peptides including PBAN and DH, and is expressed in females and males during all life stages. The PBAN receptor (PBAN-R) and the DH receptor (DH-R) were functionally expressed and confirmed through binding assays with PBAN and DH peptides. These receptors are differentially expressed from eggs to adults with the relative gene expression of the PBAN-R significantly lower during the 4th instar larval (L4) and pupal (P1-P2) stages compared to the 2nd and 3rd instar larval stages (L2 and L3). However, DH-R expression level is consistently 4-10 times higher than the PBAN-R in the same period, suggesting that PBAN-R is downregulated in the late larval and pupal stages, whereas DH-R stays upregulated throughout all developmental stages. PBAN/pyrokinin mRNA expression remains high in all stages since it produces PBAN and DH peptides. This study provides the foundation for determining the function(s) of the PBAN/pyrokinin peptides in mosquitoes and establishes data critical to the development of methods for disruption of these hormone actions as a novel strategy for mosquito control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Yeon Choi
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
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Nylin S. Induction of diapause and seasonal morphs in butterflies and other insects: knowns, unknowns and the challenge of integration. PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 38:96-104. [PMID: 23894219 PMCID: PMC3712473 DOI: 10.1111/phen.12014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The 'choice' of whether to enter diapause or to develop directly has profound effects on the life histories of insects, and may thus have cascading consequences such as seasonal morphs and other less obvious forms of seasonal plasticity. Present knowledge of the control of diapause and seasonal morphs at the physiological and molecular levels is briefly reviewed. Examples, mainly derived from personal research (primarily on butterflies), are given as a starting point with the aim of outlining areas of research that are still poorly understood. These include: the role of the direction of change in photoperiod; the role of factors such as temperature and diet in modifying the photoperiodic responses; and the role of sex, parental effects and sex linkage on photoperiodic control. More generally, there is still a limited understanding of how external cues and physiological pathways regulating various traits are interconnected via gene action to form a co-adapted complete phenotype that is adaptive in the wild despite environmental fluctuation and change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Nylin
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University Stockholm, Sweden
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Mizoguchi A, Ohsumi S, Kobayashi K, Okamoto N, Yamada N, Tateishi K, Fujimoto Y, Kataoka H. Prothoracicotropic hormone acts as a neuroendocrine switch between pupal diapause and adult development. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60824. [PMID: 23577167 PMCID: PMC3618418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diapause is a programmed developmental arrest that has evolved in a wide variety of organisms and allows them survive unfavorable seasons. This developmental state is particularly common in insects. Based on circumstantial evidence, pupal diapause has been hypothesized to result from a cessation of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) secretion from the brain. Here, we provide direct evidence for this classical hypothesis by determining both the PTTH titer in the hemolymph and the PTTH content in the brain of diapause pupae in the cabbage army moth Mamestra brassicae. For this purpose, we cloned the PTTH gene, produced PTTH-specific antibodies, and developed a highly sensitive immunoassay for PTTH. While the hemolymph PTTH titer in non-diapause pupae was maintained at high levels after pupation, the titer in diapause pupae dropped to an undetectable level. In contrast, the PTTH content of the post-pupation brain was higher in diapause animals than in non-diapause animals. These results clearly demonstrate that diapause pupae have sufficient PTTH in their brain, but they do not release it into the hemolymph. Injecting PTTH into diapause pupae immediately after pupation induced adult development, showing that a lack of PTTH is a necessary and sufficient condition for inducing pupal diapause. Most interestingly, in diapause-destined larvae, lower hemolymph titers of PTTH and reduced PTTH gene expression were observed for 4 and 2 days, respectively, prior to pupation. This discovery demonstrates that the diapause program is already manifested in the PTTH neurons as early as the mid final instar stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Mizoguchi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- * E-mail: (AM); (HK)
| | - Shintaro Ohsumi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Katuji Kobayashi
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Naoki Okamoto
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Nobuto Yamada
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ken Tateishi
- Safety Management Section, National Institute of Agrobiological Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Fujimoto
- Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kataoka
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
- * E-mail: (AM); (HK)
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Li J, Zhou J, Sun R, Zhang H, Zong S, Luo Y, Sheng X, Weng Q. cDNA cloning and sequence determination of the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide from the seabuckthorn carpenterworm, Holcocerus hippophaecolus (Lepidoptera: Cossidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 82:183-195. [PMID: 23361644 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The PBAN (pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide)/pyrokinin peptides comprise a major neuropeptide family characterized by a common FXPRL amide at the C-terminus. These peptides are actively involved in many essential endocrine functions. For the first time, we reported the cDNA cloning and sequence determination of the PBAN from the seabuckthorn carpenterworm, Holcocerus hippophaecolus, by using rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The full-length cDNA of Hh-DH-PBAN contained five peptides: diapause hormone (DH) homolog, α-neuropeptide (NP), β-NP, PBAN, and γ-NP. All of the peptides were amidated at their C-terminus and shared a conserved motif, FXPR (or K) L. Moreover, Hh-DH-PBAN had high homology to the other members of the PBAN peptide family: 56% with Manduca sexta, 66% with Bombyx mori, 77% with Helicoverpa zea, and 47% with Plutella xylostella. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Hh-DH-PBAN was closely related to PBANs from Noctuidae, demonstrated by the relatively higher similarity compared with H. zea. In addition, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that Hh-DH-PBAN mRNA expression peaked in the brain-subesophageal ganglion (Br-SOG) complex, and was also detected at high levels during larval and adult stages. The expression decreased significantly after pupation. These results provided information concerning molecular structure characteristics of Hh-DH-PBAN, whose expression profile suggested that the Hh-DH-PBAN gene might be correlated with larval development and sex pheromone biosynthesis in females of the H. hippophaecolus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Schiesari L, O'Connor MB. Diapause: delaying the developmental clock in response to a changing environment. Curr Top Dev Biol 2013; 105:213-46. [PMID: 23962844 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-396968-2.00008-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal changes can induce organisms to modify their developmental growth. Many holometabolous insects, especially Lepidoptera, trigger diapause, an "actively induced" dormancy, for overwintering. Diapause is an alternative developmental pathway that reversibly blocks developmental growth during specific transitions and enhances the hibernating potential of the organism. Changes in environmental cues, such as light and temperature, trigger modifications in the levels, or in the timing, of developmental hormones. These in turn switch the developmental trajectory (diapause or direct development), strongly altering larval/pupal growth and inducing the appearance of diapause-bound seasonal morphs (polyphenism). We also discuss an example of vertebrate diapause using the killifish embryo as an example where diapause is an environmentally determined developmental switch analogous to that observed in lepidopteran dormancy. Based on the examples discussed here, we propose that the complex physiological responses leading to diapause might evolve quickly by relatively limited genetic changes in the regulation of hormonal signals that program normal developmental transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Schiesari
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Choi MY, Vander Meer RK. Ant trail pheromone biosynthesis is triggered by a neuropeptide hormone. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50400. [PMID: 23226278 PMCID: PMC3511524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of insect chemical communication including pheromone identification, synthesis, and their role in behavior has advanced tremendously over the last half-century. However, endocrine regulation of pheromone biosynthesis has progressed slowly due to the complexity of direct and/or indirect hormonal activation of the biosynthetic cascades resulting in insect pheromones. Over 20 years ago, a neurohormone, pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) was identified that stimulated sex pheromone biosynthesis in a lepidopteran moth. Since then, the physiological role, target site, and signal transduction of PBAN has become well understood for sex pheromone biosynthesis in moths. Despite that PBAN-like peptides (∼200) have been identified from various insect Orders, their role in pheromone regulation had not expanded to the other insect groups except for Lepidoptera. Here, we report that trail pheromone biosynthesis in the Dufour's gland (DG) of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is regulated by PBAN. RNAi knock down of PBAN gene (in subesophageal ganglia) or PBAN receptor gene (in DG) expression inhibited trail pheromone biosynthesis. Reduced trail pheromone was documented analytically and through a behavioral bioassay. Extension of PBAN's role in pheromone biosynthesis to a new target insect, mode of action, and behavioral function will renew research efforts on the involvement of PBAN in pheromone biosynthesis in Insecta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Yeon Choi
- USDA-ARS, Center of Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Florida, United States of America
| | - Robert K. Vander Meer
- USDA-ARS, Center of Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Florida, United States of America
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