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Cao H, Wang X, Wang J, Lu Z, Liu T. Wing Plasticity Is Associated with Growth and Energy Metabolism in Two Color Morphs of the Pea Aphid. INSECTS 2024; 15:279. [PMID: 38667409 PMCID: PMC11050552 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, is a major pest of legume crops, exhibiting distinct polymorphism in terms of wings and body color. We found that, under crowded conditions, the red morph A. pisum produced more winged offspring than the green morph. The signaling pathways involved in aphid wing determination, like insulin and ecdysone, also play important roles in regulating growth, development, and metabolism. Thus, here, we examined the association between the wing-producing ability and the growth rate, development time, reproductive capacity, and energy metabolism in these two color morphs. The growth rate of red morphs was significantly higher than that of green morphs, whereas green morphs produced more offspring during the first 6 days of the adult stage. Red morphs accumulated higher levels of glycogen and triglycerides and consumed more triglycerides during starvation; however, green aphids consumed more trehalose during food deprivation. Red aphids exhibited stronger starvation tolerance, possibly due to their higher triglyceride catabolic activity. Furthermore, the expression levels of genes involved in the insulin pathway, glycolysis, and lipolysis in red aphids were higher than those in green aphids. These results suggest that the wing-producing ability of the pea aphid may be associated with its growth and metabolism, which may be due to the shared regulatory signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hehe Cao
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; (H.C.); (X.W.); (J.W.)
| | - Xi Wang
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; (H.C.); (X.W.); (J.W.)
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; (H.C.); (X.W.); (J.W.)
| | - Zhaozhi Lu
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China; (H.C.); (X.W.); (J.W.)
| | - Tongxian Liu
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
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Weger AA, Rittschof CC. The diverse roles of insulin signaling in insect behavior. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 4:1360320. [PMID: 38638680 PMCID: PMC11024295 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2024.1360320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
In insects and other animals, nutrition-mediated behaviors are modulated by communication between the brain and peripheral systems, a process that relies heavily on the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway (IIS). Previous studies have focused on the mechanistic and physiological functions of insulin-like peptides (ILPs) in critical developmental and adult milestones like pupation or vitellogenesis. Less work has detailed the mechanisms connecting ILPs to adult nutrient-mediated behaviors related to survival and reproductive success. Here we briefly review the range of behaviors linked to IIS in insects, from conserved regulation of feeding behavior to evolutionarily derived polyphenisms. Where possible, we incorporate information from Drosophila melanogaster and other model species to describe molecular and neural mechanisms that connect nutritional status to behavioral expression via IIS. We identify knowledge gaps which include the diverse functional roles of peripheral ILPs, how ILPs modulate neural function and behavior across the lifespan, and the lack of detailed mechanistic research in a broad range of taxa. Addressing these gaps would enable a better understanding of the evolution of this conserved and widely deployed tool kit pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clare C. Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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Lu JM, Shang F, Ding BY, Wang L, Li QC, Wang JJ, Dou W. Characterization of two Bursicon genes and their association with wing development in the brown citrus aphid, Aphis citricidus. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38339808 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The tanning hormone, Bursicon, is a neuropeptide secreted by the insect nervous system that functions as a heterodimer composed of Burs-α and Burs-β subunits. It plays a critical role in the processes of cuticle tanning and wing expansion in insects. In this study, we successfully identified the AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β genes in Aphis citricidus. The open reading frames of AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β were 480 and 417 bp in length, respectively. Both AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β exhibited 11 conserved cysteine residues. AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β were expressed during all developmental stages of A. citricidus and showed high expression levels in the winged aphids. To investigate the potential role of AcBurs-α and AcBurs-β in wing development, we employed RNA interference (RNAi) techniques. With the efficient silencing of AcBurs-α (44.90%) and AcBurs-β (52.31%), malformed wings were induced in aphids. The proportions of malformed wings were 22.50%, 25.84%, and 38.34% in dsAcBurs-α-, dsAcBur-β-, and dsAcBurs-α + dsAcBur-β-treated groups, respectively. Moreover, feeding protein kinase A inhibitors (H-89) also increased the proportion of malformed wings to 30.00%. Feeding both double-stranded RNA and inhibitors (H-89) significantly downregulated the wing development-related genes nubbin, vestigial, notch and spalt major. Silence of vestigial through RNAi also led to malformed wings. Meanwhile, the exogenous application of 3 hormones that influence wing development did not affect the expression level of AcBursicon genes. These findings indicate that AcBursicon genes plays a crucial role in wing development in A. citricidus; therefore, it represents a potential molecular target for the control of this pest through RNAi-based approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ming Lu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Shang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bi-Yue Ding
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing-Chun Li
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jin-Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Dou
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Chen SJ, Zhang JL, Ma WJ, Wu HJ, Li Y, Shen XX, Xu HJ. FoxO and rotund form a binding complex governing wing polyphenism in planthoppers. iScience 2023; 26:107182. [PMID: 37456837 PMCID: PMC10338296 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Wing polyphenism is found in a variety of insects and offers an attractive model system for studying the evolutionary significance of dispersal. The Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factor (TF) acts as a wing-morph switch that directs wing buds developing into long-winged (LW) or short-winged morphs in wing-dimorphic planthoppers, yet the regulatory mechanism of the FoxO module remains elusive. Here, we identified the zinc finger TF rotund as a potential wing-morph regulator via transcriptomic analysis and phenotypic screening in the brown plathopper, Nilaparvata lugens. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of rotund antagonized the LW development derived from in the context of FoxO depletion or the activation of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling cascade, reversing long wings into intermediate wings. In vitro binding assays indicated that rotund physically binds to FoxO to form the FoxO combinatorial code. These findings broaden our understanding of the complexity of transcriptional regulation governing wing polyphenism in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jin-Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wen-Jing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hui-Jie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xing-Xing Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hai-Jun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University; 866 Yu-Hang-Tang Avenue, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Biological Characteristics and Energy Metabolism of Migrating Insects. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13030439. [PMID: 36984878 PMCID: PMC10055822 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Through long-distance migration, insects not only find suitable breeding locations and increase the survival space and opportunities for the population but also facilitate large-scale material, energy, and information flow between regions, which is important in maintaining the stability of agricultural ecosystems and wider natural ecosystems. In this study, we summarize the changes in biological characteristics such as morphology, ovarian development, reproduction, and flight capability during the seasonal migration of the insect. In consideration of global research work, the interaction between flight and reproduction, the influence and regulation of the insulin-like and juvenile hormone on the flight and reproductive activities of migrating insects, and the types of energy substances, metabolic processes, and hormone regulation processes during insect flight are elaborated. This systematic review of the latest advances in the studies on insect migration biology and energy metabolism will help readers to better understand the biological behavior and regulation mechanism of the energy metabolism of insect migration.
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