1
|
Li XD, Jiang GF, Li R, Bai Y, Zhang GS, Xu SJ, Deng WA. Molecular strategies of the pygmy grasshopper Eucriotettix oculatus adapting to long-term heavy metal pollution. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 276:116301. [PMID: 38599159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116301] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
To study the heavy metal accumulation and its impact on insect exterior and chromosome morphology, and reveal the molecular mechanism of insects adapting to long-term heavy metal compound pollution habitats, this study, in the Diaojiang river basin, which has been polluted by heavy metals(HMs) for nearly a thousand years, two Eucriotettix oculatus populations was collected from mining and non-mining areas. It was found that the contents of 7 heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Sn, Sb) in E. oculatus of the mining area were higher than that in the non-mining 1-11 times. The analysis of morphology shows that the external morphology, the hind wing type and the chromosomal morphology of E. oculatus are significant differences between the two populations. Based on the heavy metal accumulation,morphological change, and stable population density, it is inferred that the mining area population has been affected by heavy metals and has adapted to the environment of heavy metals pollution. Then, by analyzing the transcriptome of the two populations, it was found that the digestion, immunity, excretion, endocrine, nerve, circulation, reproductive and other systems and lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and other cell structure-related gene expression were suppressed. This shows that the functions of the above-mentioned related systems of E. oculatus are inhibited by heavy metal stress. However, it has also been found that through the significant up-regulation of genes related to the above system, such as ATP2B, pepsin A, ubiquitin, AQP1, ACOX, ATPeV0A, SEC61A, CANX, ALDH7A1, DLD, aceE, Hsp40, and catalase, etc., and the down-regulation of MAPK signalling pathway genes, can enhanced nutrient absorption, improve energy metabolism, repair damaged cells and degrade abnormal proteins, maintain the stability of cells and systems, and resist heavy metal damage so that E. oculatus can adapt to the environment of heavy metal pollution for a long time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, School of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hechi University Yizhou 546300, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China
| | - Guo-Fang Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210000, China; College of Oceanology and Food Sciences, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China.
| | - Ran Li
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Yi Bai
- School of Life Science, Taizhou University, Taizhou 317000, China
| | - Guo-Song Zhang
- School of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Heze University, Heze 274000, China
| | - Shu-Juan Xu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Longdong University, Qingyang 745000, China
| | - Wei-An Deng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, School of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hechi University Yizhou 546300, China; College of Life Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao C, Liu Z, Liu Y, Zhan Y. Identification and characterization of cold-responsive aquaporins from the larvae of a crambid pest Agriphila aeneociliella (Eversmann) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). PeerJ 2023; 11:e16403. [PMID: 38025732 PMCID: PMC10652857 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As small ectotherms, insects need to cope with the challenges of winter cold by regulating the water content through water transport. Aquaporins (AQPs) are key players to enhance the cold resistance by mediating essential homeostatic processes in many animals but remain poorly characterized in insects. Agriphila aeneociliella is a newly discovered winter wheat pest in China, and its early-stage larvae have strong tolerance to low temperature stress. Six AQP genes were identified, which belong to five AQP subfamilies (RPIP, Eglp, AQP12L, PRIP, DRIP). All of them contained six hydrophobic transmembrane helices (TMHs) and two relatively conservative Asparagine-Proline-Alanine motifs. The three-dimensional homology modeling showed that the six TMHs folded into an hourglass-like shape, and the imperceptible replace of four ar/R residues in contraction region had critical effects on changing the pore size of channels. Moreover, the transcript levels of AaAQP 1, 3, and 6 increased significantly with the treatment time below 0 °C. Combined with the results of pore radius variation, it is suggested that AaAQP1 and AaAQP3 may be considered to be the key anti-hypothermia proteins in A. aeneociliella by regulating rapid cell dehydration and allowing the influx of extracellular cold resistance molecules, thus avoiding death in winter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunqing Zhao
- College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Weihai Huancui District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Weihai, China
| | - Yong Liu
- College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China
| | - Yidi Zhan
- College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tan LP, Chen ME. Regulation of Aquaporin Prip Expression and Its Physiological Function in Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:70. [PMID: 36661998 PMCID: PMC9865390 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Rhyzopertha dominica Prip (RdPrip) cDNA was cloned (GenBank accession no. OK318454), and the encoded 276-amino-acid protein indicated the typical aquaporin structure, including six transmembrane regions and two NPA motifs. The developmental and tissue profiles of RdPrip transcription were determined. RdPrip was highly transcribed in female adults, followed by larvae, pupae, and male adults. The transcriptional expression levels of RdPrip were significantly high in the ovary and hindgut (including cryptonephridial systems) compared with the foregut, testis, midgut, and Malpighian tubules. Knockdown of RdPrip in female adults did not decrease fecundity, but significantly decreased the hatching rate of eggs laid by the females. The results suggest that RdPrip functions in embryonic development, not in egg formation. In addition, the transcriptional expression level of RdPrip was lower in the spinosad-resistant strain than in the susceptible one, and the resistant strain produced fewer progeny than the susceptible strain did. These studies support the functional role of RdPrip in female reproduction. The absence of significant mortality reduction in the R. dominica exposed to spinosad after RdPrip RNAi suggests that other aquaporins that were not knocked down may exist for the excretion of metabolized pesticides.
Collapse
|
4
|
Differential expression of aquaporin genes during ovary activation in the honeybee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) queens. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 253:110551. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2020.110551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
5
|
Yoshida M, Lee RE, Denlinger DL, Goto SG. Expression of aquaporins in response to distinct dehydration stresses that confer stress tolerance in the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2021; 256:110928. [PMID: 33647463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.110928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Larvae of the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera: Chironomidae) are highly tolerant of diverse environmental stresses, including freezing, severe desiccation, and osmotic extremes. Furthermore, dehydration confers subsequent desiccation and freeze tolerance. While a role for aquaporins-channels for water and other solutes-has been proposed in these dehydration processes, the types of aquaporins involved in dehydration-driven stress tolerance remain unknown. In the present study, we investigated expression of six aquaporins (Drip, Prip, Eglp1, Eglp2, Aqp12L, and Bib) in larvae of B. antarctica subjected to three different dehydration conditions: desiccation, cryoprotective dehydration, and osmotic dehydration. The expression of Drip and Prip was up-regulated under desiccation and cryoprotective dehydration, suggesting a role for these aquaporins in efficient water loss under these dehydration conditions. Conversely, expression of Drip and Prip was down-regulated under osmotic dehydration, suggesting that their expression is suppressed in larvae to combat dehydration. Larval water content was similarly decreased under all three dehydration conditions. Differences in responses of the aquaporins to the three forms of dehydration suggests distinct water management strategies associated with different forms of dehydration stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Yoshida
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Richard E Lee
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - David L Denlinger
- Departments of Entomology and Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shin G Goto
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Linhares Lino de Souza D, Serrão JE, Hansen IA. Aquaporin expression in the alimentary canal of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and functional characterization of Am_Eglp 1. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236724. [PMID: 32956406 PMCID: PMC7505460 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQP) are a family of plasma membrane proteins responsible for water transport through cell membranes. They are differentially expressed in different parts of the alimentary canal of insects where they regulate water transport. These proteins have been studied in detail in some insects, but few data are available for aquaporins of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. We used quantitative PCR to study the expression of six putative aquaporin genes in forager honey bees. We found differential expression of all putative AQP genes in crop, midgut, ileum, rectum and Malpighian tubules. We found the entomoglyceroporin Am_Eglp 1 expressed at extremely high levels in the midgut. We performed a functional characterization of Am_Eglp 1 using heterologous expression in Xenopus laevis oocyte followed by water uptake assays. Our results confirmed that the Am_Eglp 1 gene encodes a functional water transporter. This study shows that all putative honey bee aquaporin genes have complex expression patterns in the digestive and excretory organs of honey bee workers. Our results suggest that Am_Eglp 1 is the principal water transporter in the midgut of A. mellifera workers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Immo Alex Hansen
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang K, Liu ZG, Lin ZG, Yin L, Gao FC, Chen GH, Ji T. Epigenetic Modifications May Regulate the Activation of the Hypopharyngeal Gland of Honeybees ( Apis Mellifera) During Winter. Front Genet 2020; 11:46. [PMID: 32117456 PMCID: PMC7029738 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification primarily responsible for individual phenotypic variation. This modification has been reported to play an important role in caste, brain plasticity, and body development in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Here, we report the DNA methylation profile of honeybee hypopharyngeal glands, from atrophy in winter to arousal in the following spring, through the use of whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Consistent with previous studies in other Apis species, we found low methylation levels of the hypopharyngeal gland genome that were mostly of the CG type. Notably, we observed a strong preference for CpG methylation, which was localized in promoters and exon regions. This result further indicated that, in honeybees, DNA methylation may regulate gene expression by mediating alternative splicing, in addition to silencing gene in the promoter regions. After assessment by correlation analysis, we identified seven candidate proteins encoded by differentially methylated genes, including aristaless-related homeobox, forkhead box protein O, headcase, alpha-amylase, neural-cadherin, epidermal growth factor receptor, and aquaporin, which are reported to be involved in cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Hypomethylation followed by upregulated expression of these candidates suggested that DNA methylation may play significant roles in the activation of hypopharyngeal glands in overwintering honeybees. Overall, this study elucidates epigenetic modification differences in honeybee hypopharyngeal glands by comparing an inactive winter state to an aroused state in the following spring, which could provide further insight into the evolution of insect sociality and regulatory plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhen-guo Liu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhe-guang Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ling Yin
- Jiangsu Agri-animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, China
| | - Fu-chao Gao
- Mudanjiang Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Guo-hong Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ting Ji
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Specialized stellate cells offer a privileged route for rapid water flux in Drosophila renal tubule. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:1779-1787. [PMID: 31907321 PMCID: PMC6983416 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915943117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are highly successful, in part through an excellent ability to osmoregulate. The renal (Malpighian) tubules can secrete fluid faster on a per-cell basis than any other epithelium, but the route for these remarkable water fluxes has not been established. In Drosophila melanogaster, we show that 4 genes of the major intrinsic protein family are expressed at a very high level in the fly renal tissue: the aquaporins (AQPs) Drip and Prip and the aquaglyceroporins Eglp2 and Eglp4 As predicted from their structure, and by their transport function by expressing these proteins in Xenopus oocytes, Drip, Prip, and Eglp2 show significant and specific water permeability, whereas Eglp2 and Eglp4 show very high permeability to glycerol and urea. Knockdowns of any of these genes result in impaired hormone-induced fluid secretion. The Drosophila tubule has 2 main secretory cell types: active cation-transporting principal cells, wherein the aquaglyceroporins localize to opposite plasma membranes, and small stellate cells, the site of the chloride shunt conductance, with these AQPs localizing to opposite plasma membranes. This suggests a model in which osmotically obliged water flows through the stellate cells. Consistent with this model, fluorescently labeled dextran, an in vivo marker of membrane water permeability, is trapped in the basal infoldings of the stellate cells after kinin diuretic peptide stimulation, confirming that these cells provide the major route for transepithelial water flux. The spatial segregation of these components of epithelial water transport may help to explain the unique success of the higher insects in regulating their internal environments.
Collapse
|
9
|
iTRAQ-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Digestive Juice across the First 48 Hours of the Fifth Instar in Silkworm Larvae. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20246113. [PMID: 31817210 PMCID: PMC6940845 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20246113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The silkworm is an oligophagous insect for which mulberry leaves are the sole diet. The nutrients needed for vital activities of the egg, pupal, and adult stages, and the proteins formed in the cocoon, are all derived from the larval stages. The silkworm feeds and grows quickly during the larval stages. In particular, the amount of leaf ingested and digested quickly increases from the ecdysis to the gluttonous stage in the fifth instar period. In this study, we used the iTRAQ proteomic technique to identify and analyze silkworm larval digestive juice proteins during this period. A total of 227 proteins were successfully identified. These were primarily serine protease activity, esterase activity, binding, and serine protease inhibitors, which were mainly involved in the digestion and overcoming the detrimental effects of mulberry leaves. Moreover, 30 genes of the identified proteins were expressed specifically in the midgut. Temporal proteomic analysis of digestive juice revealed developmental dynamic features related to molecular mechanisms of the principal functions of digesting, resisting pathogens, and overruling the inhibitory effects of mulberry leaves protease inhibitors (PIs) with a dynamic strategy, although overruling the inhibitory effects has not yet been confirmed by previous study. These findings will help address the potential functions of digestive juice in silkworm larvae.
Collapse
|
10
|
Feng XB, Zheng ZW, Zhang X, Gu J, Feng QL, Huang LH. Discovering genes responsible for silk synthesis in Bombyx mori by piggyBac-based random insertional mutagenesis. INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 26:821-830. [PMID: 29645353 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Silkworm mutants are valuable resources for both transgenic breeding and gene discovery. PiggyBac-based random insertional mutagenesis has been widely used in gene functional studies. In order to discover genes involved in silk synthesis, a piggyBac-based random insertional library was constructed using Bombyx mori, and the mutants with abnormal cocoon were particularly screened. By this means, a "thin cocoon" mutant was identified. This mutant revealed thinner cocoon shell and shorter posterior silk gland (PSG) compared with the wild type. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of all the three fibroin genes, including Fib-H, Fib-L and P25, were significantly down-regulated in the PSG of mutants. Four piggyBac insertion sites were identified in Aquaporin (AQP), Longitudinals lacking protein-like (Lola), Glutamyl aminopeptidase-like (GluAP) and Loc101744460. The mRNA levels of all the four genes were significantly altered in the silk gland of mutants. In particular, the mRNA amount of AQP, a gene responsible for the regulation of osmotic pressure, decreased dramatically immediately prior to the spinning stage in the anterior silk gland of mutants. The identification of the genes disrupted in the "thin cocoon" mutant in this study provided useful information for understanding silk production and transgenic breeding of silkworms in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Bao Feng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zi-Wen Zheng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Gu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi-Li Feng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Hua Huang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bezerra-Neto JP, de Araújo FC, Ferreira-Neto JRC, da Silva MD, Pandolfi V, Aburjaile FF, Sakamoto T, de Oliveira Silva RL, Kido EA, Barbosa Amorim LL, Ortega JM, Benko-Iseppon AM. Plant Aquaporins: Diversity, Evolution and Biotechnological Applications. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:368-395. [PMID: 30387391 DOI: 10.2174/1389203720666181102095910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The plasma membrane forms a permeable barrier that separates the cytoplasm from the external environment, defining the physical and chemical limits in each cell in all organisms. The movement of molecules and ions into and out of cells is controlled by the plasma membrane as a critical process for cell stability and survival, maintaining essential differences between the composition of the extracellular fluid and the cytosol. In this process aquaporins (AQPs) figure as important actors, comprising highly conserved membrane proteins that carry water, glycerol and other hydrophilic molecules through biomembranes, including the cell wall and membranes of cytoplasmic organelles. While mammals have 15 types of AQPs described so far (displaying 18 paralogs), a single plant species can present more than 120 isoforms, providing transport of different types of solutes. Such aquaporins may be present in the whole plant or can be associated with different tissues or situations, including biotic and especially abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity or tolerance to soils rich in heavy metals, for instance. The present review addresses several aspects of plant aquaporins, from their structure, classification, and function, to in silico methodologies for their analysis and identification in transcriptomes and genomes. Aspects of evolution and diversification of AQPs (with a focus on plants) are approached for the first time with the aid of the LCA (Last Common Ancestor) analysis. Finally, the main practical applications involving the use of AQPs are discussed, including patents and future perspectives involving this important protein family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João P Bezerra-Neto
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Flávia Czekalski de Araújo
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - José R C Ferreira-Neto
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Manassés D da Silva
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Valesca Pandolfi
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Flavia F Aburjaile
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Tetsu Sakamoto
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Roberta L de Oliveira Silva
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Ederson A Kido
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Lidiane L Barbosa Amorim
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Piauí, Campus Oeiras, Avenida Projetada, s/n, 64.500-000, Oeiras, Piauí, Brazil
| | - José M Ortega
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana M Benko-Iseppon
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Genetics Department, Center of Biosciences, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, 50.670-423, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fu D, Dai L, Gao H, Sun Y, Liu B, Chen H. Identification, Expression Patterns and RNA Interference of Aquaporins in Dendroctonus armandi (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) Larvae During Overwintering. Front Physiol 2019; 10:967. [PMID: 31427984 PMCID: PMC6688586 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to survive annual temperature minima could be a key determinant of distribution limits for insects under global climate change. Recent studies have suggested that insect aquaporins are indispensable for cellular water management under conditions that lead to dehydration and cold stress. Aquaporins are integral membrane water channel proteins in the major intrinsic protein superfamily and promote selected solutes and the movement of water across biological membranes. We cloned and characterized nine full-length aquaporins from Dendroctonus armandi (DaAqps), the most destructive forest pest in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province, China. Eight of the DaAqps belong to three classical aquaporin grades, including the Drosophila integral protein, the Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein, the entomoglyceroporins and one that belongs to the unorthodox grade of aquaporin 12-like channels. The DaAqps were increasingly expressed during different developmental stages and in different larval tissues, and expression peaked in mid-winter. They were tested under cold conditions for different lengths of time, and the expression of almost all DaAqps was down regulated with decreasing temperatures and long-term exposure to cold conditions. However, when the lowest temperatures were reached, the levels were immediately upregulated. These genes indicate that cold tolerance can improve through mortality responses at low temperatures after RNA interference of DaAqps. In our study, we analyzed the molecular response, expression patterns, and RNA interference of DaAqps and clarified the crucial role of protective compounds (aquaporins) underlying D. armandi cold tolerance and provide a new pest control method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Fu
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Lulu Dai
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Haiming Gao
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yaya Sun
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Bin Liu
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Hui Chen
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
An aquaporin mediates cell shape change required for cellular immunity in the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4988. [PMID: 30899076 PMCID: PMC6428837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41541-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular immunity in insects is accompanied by change in hemocyte shape. This study hypothesizes that cytoskeletal rearrangement is accompanied by transmembrane water transport to change cell volume, thus changing cell shape. A water-transporting pore (=aquaporin:AQP) has been identified in the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. Its expression was detected in all developmental stages and tissues, although its transcription levels were different between biotic and abiotic conditions. Heterologous expression of Se-AQP in Sf9 cells showed that Se-AQP was localized on cell membrane. RNA interference (RNAi) using double-stranded RNA effectively suppressed its transcript levels. Under different ionic concentrations, hemocytes of RNAi-treated larvae did not change cell volume presumably due to malfunction in water transportation. Se-AQP might participate in glycerol transport because up-regulation of hemolymph glycerol titer after rapid cold-hardening was prevented by RNAi treatment against Se-AQP expression. The inhibitory effect of RNAi treatment on change of cell shape significantly impaired cellular immune responses such as phagocytosis and nodule formation upon bacterial challenge. RNAi treatment also significantly interfered with immature development of S. exigua. These results indicate that Se-AQP plays a crucial role in cell shape change that is required for cellular immunity and other physiological processes.
Collapse
|
14
|
Sreedharan S, Sankaranarayanan K. Water channel activity of putative aquaporin-6 present in Aedes aegypti. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 100:e21519. [PMID: 30456765 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane channels that facilitate the bidirectional transport of water and sometimes other small solutes across biological membranes. AQPs are important in mediating environmental adaptations in mosquitoes and are considered as a novel target for the development of effective insecticides against mosquitoes. Here, we expressed Aedes aegypti AQP6 ( AaAQP6) in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and analyzed the water permeability by a conventional swelling assay, that is, a real-time change in cell size corresponding to the cell swelling induced by hyposmotic solution. The swelling assay revealed that AaAQP6 is a mercury-sensitive water channel. Gene expression studies showed that AaAQP6 is highly expressed in the pupae than other developmental stages. Heterologous expression of AaAQP6 in HEK cell was mainly observed intracellularly suggesting AaAQP6 possibly could be a subcellular water channel and may play an osmoregulatory function in the pupae of A. aegypti.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Sreedharan
- Department of Ion Channel Biology Laboratory, AU-KBC Research Centre, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chennai, India
| | - Kavitha Sankaranarayanan
- Department of Ion Channel Biology Laboratory, AU-KBC Research Centre, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chennai, India
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yao XX, Meng QW, Li GQ. RNA interference-mediated functional characterization of aquaporin genes in Tribolium castaneum. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 27:234-246. [PMID: 29235691 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
An obvious challenge faced by most terrestrial insects is maintaining water homeostasis in an arid environment. Current research suggests aquaporins may be evolved to meet the challenge. However, up to now, this suggestion has not been verified in any insect that feeds upon solid food with mandibulate mouthparts. In the present paper, nine putative aquaporin genes [Tribolium castaneum big brain, T. castaneum Drosophila integral protein (TcDrip), T. castaneum Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein (TcPrip), T. castaneum aquaporin 12-like, T. castaneum entomoglyceroporin 1 (TcEglp1), TcEglp2, TcEglp3, TcEglp4 and TcEglp5] were identified in T. castaneum. The transcripts of the nine genes were easily detectable in the foregut, midgut, hindgut-Malpighian tubule complex, fat body and carcass (except gut and fat body). Amongst them TcDrip, TcPrip, TcEglp1, TcEglp3 and TcEglp5 were highly transcribed in the hindgut-Malpighian tubule complex; TcEglp4 was abundantly expressed in both the fat body and hindgut-Malpighian tubule complex. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of TcEglp3 caused a grey larval cuticle, in contrast to a smooth and bright cuticle in control larvae. Approximately 40% of the TcEglp3 RNAi larvae had their hindguts protruding from the anus; their fresh wet faeces were attached to the hindgut. Another 20% of these treated larvae did not defaecate normally; wet brown faeces were adhered to the anal area. As a result, the larval growth was inhibited and about 60% larval lethality occurred. Silencing of TcEglp4 or TcDrip exhibited similar but weaker defective phenotypes as those of the TcEglp3-silenced larvae. Therefore, Eglp3, Eglp4 and Drip may contribute to the conductance of water in the alimentary canal and Malpighian tubules in T. castaneum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- X-X Yao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Crop Pest Management in Eastern China (Agricultural Ministry of China), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Q-W Meng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Crop Pest Management in Eastern China (Agricultural Ministry of China), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - G-Q Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Crop Pest Management in Eastern China (Agricultural Ministry of China), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lu MX, Pan DD, Xu J, Liu Y, Wang GR, Du YZ. Identification and Functional Analysis of the First Aquaporin from Striped Stem Borer, Chilo suppressalis. Front Physiol 2018; 9:57. [PMID: 29467668 PMCID: PMC5808226 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins are integral membrane proteins some of which form high capacity water-selective channels, promoting water permeation across cell membranes. In this study, we isolated the aquaporin transcript (CsDrip1) of Chilo suppressalis, one of the important rice pests. CsDrip1 included two variants, CsDrip1_v1 and CsDrip1_v2. Although CsDrip1_v2 sequence (>409 bp) was longer than CsDrip1_v1, they possessed the same open reading frame (ORF). Protein structure and topology of CsDrip1 was analyzed using a predicted model, and the results demonstrated the conserved properties of insect water-specific aquaporins, including 6 transmembrane domains, 2 NPA motifs, ar/R constriction region (Phe69, His194, Ser203, and Arg209) and the C-terminal peptide sequence ending in "SYDF." Our data revealed that the Xenopus oocytes expressing CsDrip1 indicated CsDrip1 could transport water instead of glycerol, trehalose and urea. Further, the transcript of CsDrip1 expressed ubiquitously but differentially in different tissues or organs and developmental stages of C. suppressalis. CsDrip1 mRNA exhibited the highest level of expression within hindgut and the third instar larvae. Regardless of pupae and adults, there were significantly different expression levels of CsDrip1 gene between male and female. Different from at low temperature, the transcript of CsDrip1 in larvae exposed to high temperature was increased significantly. Moreover, the mRNA levels of CsDrip1 in the third instar larvae, the fifth instar larvae, pupae (male and female), and adults (male and female) under different humidities were investigated. However, the mRNA levels of CsDrip1 of only female and male adults were changed remarkably. In conclusions, CsDrip1 plays important roles in maintaining water homeostasis in this important rice pest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Xing Lu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection and Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dan-Dan Pan
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection and Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jing Xu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection and Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gui-Rong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Zhou Du
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection and Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ishibashi K, Morishita Y, Tanaka Y. The Evolutionary Aspects of Aquaporin Family. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 969:35-50. [PMID: 28258564 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-024-1057-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs ) are a family of transmembrane proteins present in almost all species including virus. They are grossly divided into three subfamilies based on the sequence around a highly conserved pore-forming NPA motif: (1) classical water -selective AQP (CAQP), (2) glycerol -permeable aquaglyceroporin (AQGP) and (3) AQP super-gene channel, superaquaporin (SAQP). AQP is composed of two tandem repeats of conserved three transmembrane domains and a NPA motif. AQP ancestors probably started in prokaryotes by the duplication of half AQP genes to be diversified into CAQPs or AQGPs by evolving a subfamily-specific carboxyl-terminal NPA motif. Both AQP subfamilies may have been carried over to unicellular eukaryotic ancestors, protists and further to multicellular organisms. Although fungus lineage has kept both AQP subfamilies, the plant lineage has lost AQGP after algal ancestors with extensive diversifications of CAQPs into PIP, TIP, SIP, XIP, HIP and LIP with a possible horizontal transfer of NIP from bacteria. Interestingly, the animal lineage has obtained new SAQP subfamily with highly deviated NPA motifs, especially at the amino-terminal halves in both prostomial and deuterostomial animals. The prostomial lineage has lost AQGP after hymenoptera, while the deuterostomial lineage has kept all three subfamilies up to the vertebrate with diversified CAQPs (AQP0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8) and AQGPs (AQP3, 7, 9, 10) with limited SAQPs (AQP11, 12) in mammals. Whole-genome duplications, local gene duplications and horizontal gene transfers may have produced the AQP diversity with adaptive selections and functional alternations in response to environment changes. With the above evolutionary perspective in mind, the function of each AQP could be speculated by comparison among species to get new insights into physiological roles of AQPs . This evolutionary guidance in AQP research will lead to deeper understandings of water and solute homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishibashi
- Division of Pathophysiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan.
| | - Yoshiyuki Morishita
- Division of Nephrology, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, 1-847 Ohmiya, Saitama-City, Saitama, 330-8503, Japan
| | - Yasuko Tanaka
- Division of Pathophysiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Endo H, Azuma M, Adegawa S, Kikuta S, Sato R. Water influx via aquaporin directly determines necrotic cell death induced by the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxin. FEBS Lett 2016; 591:56-64. [PMID: 27914170 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxin causes swelling and necrosis in insect cells, but the route(s) and significance of the water influx involved in its cytotoxicity are unclear. Here, we assessed the role of aquaporins (AQPs), known as water channels, in Cry toxin intoxication. An AQP inhibitor did not interfere with any known process to form the toxin pore, but it diminished the cell swelling and loss of membrane integrity induced by the Cry toxin. Overexpression of AQPs facilitated water influx and cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate that water influx via aquaporin directly determines necrotic cell death induced by the Cry toxin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Endo
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Satomi Adegawa
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan
| | - Shingo Kikuta
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Sato
- Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Van Ekert E, Chauvigné F, Finn RN, Mathew LG, Hull JJ, Cerdà J, Fabrick JA. Molecular and functional characterization of Bemisia tabaci aquaporins reveals the water channel diversity of hemipteran insects. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 77:39-51. [PMID: 27491441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an economically important pest of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. This pest has evolved a number of adaptations to overcome physiological challenges, including 1) the ability to regulate osmotic stress between gut lumen and hemolymph after imbibing large quantities of a low nitrogen, sugar-rich liquid diet; 2) the ability to avoid or prevent dehydration and desiccation, particularly during egg hatching and molting; and 3) to be adapted for survival at elevated temperatures. One superfamily of proteins involved in the maintenance of fluid homeostasis in many organisms includes the aquaporins, which are integral membrane channel proteins that aid in the rapid flux of water and other small solutes across biological membranes. Here, we show that B. tabaci has eight aquaporins (BtAqps), of which seven belong to the classical aquaporin 4-related grade of channels, including Bib, Drip, Prip, and Eglps and one that belongs to the unorthodox grade of aquaporin 12-like channels. B. tabaci has further expanded its repertoire of water channels through the expression of three BtDrip2 amino-terminal splice variants, while other hemipteran species express amino- or carboxyl-terminal isoforms of Drip, Prip, and Eglps. Each BtAqp has unique transcript expression profiles, cellular localization, and/or substrate preference. Our phylogenetic and functional data reveal that hemipteran insects lost the classical glp genes, but have compensated for this by duplicating the eglp genes early in their evolution to comprise at least three separate clades of glycerol transporters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Van Ekert
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - François Chauvigné
- Department of Biology, Bergen High Technology Centre, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway; Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)-Institut de Ciencies del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roderick Nigel Finn
- Department of Biology, Bergen High Technology Centre, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway; Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway
| | - Lolita G Mathew
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - J Joe Hull
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Joan Cerdà
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA)-Institut de Ciencies del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jeffrey A Fabrick
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Sreedharan S, Kothandan G, Sankaranarayanan K. Structural insights into the Aedes aegypti aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins – an in silico study. J Recept Signal Transduct Res 2016; 36:543-557. [DOI: 10.3109/10799893.2016.1141954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Sreedharan
- AU-KBC Research Centre, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chennai, India and
| | - Gugan Kothandan
- Centre for Advanced Study in Crystallography and Biophysics, Guindy Campus, University of Madras, Chennai, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Goto SG, Lee RE, Denlinger DL. Aquaporins in the antarctic midge, an extremophile that relies on dehydration for cold survival. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2015; 229:47-57. [PMID: 26338869 DOI: 10.1086/bblv229n1p47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The terrestrial midge Belgica antarctica relies extensively on dehydration to survive the low temperatures and desiccation stress that prevail in its Antarctic habitat. The loss of body water is thus a critical adaptive mechanism employed at the onset of winter to prevent injury from internal ice formation; a rapid mechanism for rehydration is equally essential when summer returns and the larva resumes the brief active phase of its life. This important role for water movement suggests a critical role for aquaporins (AQPs). Recent completion of the genome project on this species revealed the presence of AQPs in B. antarctica representing the DRIP, PRIP, BIB, RPIP, and LHIP families. Treatment with mercuric chloride to block AQPs also blocks water loss, thereby decreasing cell survival at low temperatures. Antibodies directed against mammalian or Drosophila AQPs suggest a wide tissue distribution of AQPs in the midge and changes in protein abundance in response to dehydration, rehydration, and freezing. Thus far, functional studies have been completed only for PRIP1. It appears to be a water-specific AQP, but expression levels are not altered by dehydration or rehydration. Functional assays remain to be completed for the additional AQPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shin G Goto
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan;
| | - Richard E Lee
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio; and
| | - David L Denlinger
- Departments of Entomology and Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
In this review, we provide a brief synopsis of the evolution and functional diversity of the aquaporin gene superfamily in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Based upon the latest data, we discuss the expanding list of molecules shown to permeate the central pore of aquaporins, and the unexpected diversity of water channel genes in Archaea and Bacteria. We further provide new insight into the origin by horizontal gene transfer of plant glycerol-transporting aquaporins (NIPs), and the functional co-option and gene replacement of insect glycerol transporters. Finally, we discuss the origins of four major grades of aquaporins in Eukaryota, together with the increasing repertoires of aquaporins in vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roderick Nigel Finn
- Department of Biology, Bergen High Technology Centre, University of Bergen, Norway; Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway; and
| | - Joan Cerdà
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)-Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Maruyama M, Kambara K, Naka H, Azuma M. Insect water-specific aquaporins in developing ovarian follicles of the silk moth Bombyx mori: role in hydration during egg maturation. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2015; 229:58-69. [PMID: 26338870 DOI: 10.1086/bblv229n1p58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Egg formation in terrestrial insects is an absorptive process, accommodated not only by packing proteins and lipids into yolk but also by filling chorions with water. An osmotic swelling of ovarian follicles takes place during oocyte maturation. This study investigated the role of the aquaporin (AQP) water channel in the osmotic uptake of water during oogenesis in the silk moth Bombyx mori Linnaeus, 1758. Using the antibodies that specifically recognize previously characterized AQPs, two water-specific subtypes-AQP-Bom1 and AQP-Bom3-belonging to the Drosophila integral protein (DRIP) and Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein (PRIP) subfamilies of the insect AQP clade, respectively, were identified in the developing ovaries of B. mori. During oocyte growth, Bombyx PRIP was distributed at the oocyte plasma membrane, where it likely plays a role in water uptake and oocyte swelling, and may be responsible for oocyte hydration during fluid absorption by ovarian follicles. During the transition from vitellogenesis to choriogenesis during oocyte maturation, Bombyx DRIP expression became abundant in peripheral yolk granules underlying the oocyte plasma membrane. The restricted DRIP localization was not observed in non-diapause-destined follicles, where DRIP was evenly distributed in medullary yolk granules. There was no difference in PRIP distribution between diapause- and non-diapause-destined follicles. The diapause-destined oocytes encase DRIP protein in the peripheral yolk granules, where DRIP might be inert. This would be reflected in the metabolic arrest associated with diapause after fertilization and egg oviposition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Maruyama
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University; and
| | - Kohei Kambara
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University; and
| | - Hideshi Naka
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University; and Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Koyama-cho, Minami 4-101, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
| | - Masaaki Azuma
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University; and Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Koyama-cho, Minami 4-101, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Finn RN, Chauvigné F, Stavang JA, Belles X, Cerdà J. Insect glycerol transporters evolved by functional co-option and gene replacement. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7814. [PMID: 26183829 PMCID: PMC4518291 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane glycerol transport is typically facilitated by aquaglyceroporins in Prokaryota and Eukaryota. In holometabolan insects however, aquaglyceroporins are absent, yet several species possess polyol permeable aquaporins. It thus remains unknown how glycerol transport evolved in the Holometabola. By combining phylogenetic and functional studies, here we show that a more efficient form of glycerol transporter related to the water-selective channel AQP4 specifically evolved and multiplied in the insect lineage, resulting in the replacement of the ancestral branch of aquaglyceroporins in holometabolan insects. To recapitulate this evolutionary process, we generate specific mutants in distantly related insect aquaporins and human AQP4 and show that a single mutation in the selectivity filter converted a water-selective channel into a glycerol transporter at the root of the crown clade of hexapod insects. Integration of phanerozoic climate models suggests that these events were associated with the emergence of complete metamorphosis and the unparalleled radiation of insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roderick Nigel Finn
- Department of Biology, Bergen High Technology Center, University of Bergen, PO Box 7803, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
- Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 1870 Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway
| | - François Chauvigné
- Department of Biology, Bergen High Technology Center, University of Bergen, PO Box 7803, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)-Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Passeig Marítim 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jon Anders Stavang
- Department of Biology, Bergen High Technology Center, University of Bergen, PO Box 7803, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Cerdà
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)-Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Passeig Marítim 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Drake LL, Rodriguez SD, Hansen IA. Functional characterization of aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Sci Rep 2015; 5:7795. [PMID: 25589229 PMCID: PMC4295104 DOI: 10.1038/srep07795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
After taking vertebrate blood, female mosquitoes quickly shed excess water and ions while retaining and concentrating the mostly proteinaceous nutrients. Aquaporins (AQPs) are an evolutionary conserved family of membrane transporter proteins that regulate the flow of water and in some cases glycerol and other small molecules across cellular membranes. In a previous study, we found six putative AQP genes in the genome of the yellow fever mosquito, Ae. aegypti, and demonstrated the involvement of three of them in the blood meal-induced diuresis. Here we characterized AQP expression in different tissues before and after a blood meal, explored the substrate specificity of AQPs expressed in the Malpighian tubules and performed RNAi-mediated knockdown and tested for changes in mosquito desiccation resistance. We found that AQPs are generally down-regulated 24 hrs after a blood meal. Ae. aegypti AQP 1 strictly transports water, AQP 2 and 5 demonstrate limited solute transport, but primarily function as water transporters. AQP 4 is an aquaglyceroporin with multiple substrates. Knockdown of AQPs expressed in the MTs increased survival of Ae. aegypti under dry conditions. We conclude that Malpighian tubules of adult female yellow fever mosquitoes utilize three distinct AQPs and one aquaglyceroporin in their osmoregulatory functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Drake
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
| | | | - Immo A Hansen
- 1] Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM [2] Institute for Applied Biosciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM [3] Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Serrão JE, do Carmo Queiroz Fialho M, Azevedo DO, Zanuncio JC. Aquaporins in the honeybee crop--a new function for an old organ. PROTOPLASMA 2014; 251:1441-1447. [PMID: 24756368 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-014-0645-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Nectar used by bees as a food source is collected and stored in the crop, where it is transported and converted into honey. The production of honey involves water uptake from nectar. However, the crop is a portion of the insect foregut that has been characterized solely as a food storage organ. Aquaporins are integral membrane proteins that function as specific canal for water transport and are abundant in tissues with high water permeability. In this study, we detected five predicted genes for aquaporins in the gut of the honeybee Apis mellifera. We evaluated the aquaporins' localization in the crop by using an anti-aquaporin antibody produced against the peptide sequence from one of the expressed genes, which was detected in the crop epithelium, particularly in the apical portions of the cells. Furthermore, we also showed an increase in sugar concentration in a sucrose solution collected from the crop lumen a few minutes after feeding, indicating that water uptake occurs during storage of nectar in the crop, suggesting a previously unidentified function for the honeybee crop.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Eduardo Serrão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. P.H. Rolfs, s/n, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Identification and expression analysis of aquaporins in the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111745. [PMID: 25354208 PMCID: PMC4213062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin (AQPs) proteins transport water and uncharged low molecular-weight solutes across biological membranes. Six to 8 AQP genes have been identified in many insect species, but presently only three aquaporins have been characterized in phloem feeding insects. The objective of this study was to identify candidate AQPs in the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli. Herein, we identified four candidate aquaporin cDNAs in B. cockerelli transcriptome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that candidate BcAQP2-like had high similarity to PRIP aquaporins; while candidates BcAQP4-like, BcAQP5-like and BcAQP9-like clustered within clade B. In particular, candidates BcAQP4-like and BcAQP5-like clustered with functionally validated insect aquaglyceroporin proteins. Expression analyses using RT-qPCR showed that all candidates were expressed in all life stages and tissues. Candidates BcAQP4-like and BcAQP5-like were highly expressed in bacteriocytes, while BcAQP9-like appeared to be expressed at high levels in whole body but not in the assayed tissues. This study is the first global attempt to identify putative aquaporins in a phloem feeding insect.
Collapse
|
28
|
Benoit JB, Hansen IA, Szuter EM, Drake LL, Burnett DL, Attardo GM. Emerging roles of aquaporins in relation to the physiology of blood-feeding arthropods. J Comp Physiol B 2014; 184:811-25. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-014-0836-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
29
|
Fabrick JA, Pei J, Hull JJ, Yool AJ. Molecular and functional characterization of multiple aquaporin water channel proteins from the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 45:125-140. [PMID: 24333473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane channel proteins that facilitate the bidirectional transfer of water or other small solutes across biological membranes involved in numerous essential physiological processes. In arthropods, AQPs belong to several subfamilies, which contribute to osmoregulation, respiration, cryoprotection, anhydrobiosis, and excretion. We cloned and characterized five novel AQPs from the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, a polyphagous insect pest of food and fiber crops throughout western North America. The L. hesperus AQPs (LhAQP1-5) belong to different phylogenetic subfamilies, have unique transcription profiles and cellular localizations, and all transport water (but not glycerol) when heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Our results demonstrate that multiple AQPs with possible compensatory functions are produced in L. hesperus that likely play important roles in maintaining water homeostasis in this important insect pest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Fabrick
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, 21881 North Cardon Lane, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA.
| | - Jinxin Pei
- University of Adelaide, School of Medical Sciences, Frome Rd., Medical School South, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - J Joe Hull
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, 21881 North Cardon Lane, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Andrea J Yool
- University of Adelaide, School of Medical Sciences, Frome Rd., Medical School South, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Molecular identification of first putative aquaporins in snails. J Membr Biol 2014; 247:239-52. [PMID: 24445747 PMCID: PMC3930841 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-014-9629-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs), also known as water channel proteins, are members of a large protein family termed Major Intrinsic Proteins (MIP). The mammalian AQPs have been most comprehensively described, while knowledge about AQPs in invertebrates is limited mainly to insects. Not a single AQP protein has been described in snails to date. Consequently, we decided to search for the proteins in gastropod representatives, namely Lymnaea stagnalis, Catascopia occulta, and Stagnicola palustris (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Pulmonata; Lymnaeidae). Using the molecular approach, we identified L. stagnalis, C. occulta, and S. palustris open reading frames (ORFs) showing homology to AQP genes available in GenBank database, and characterized the encoded proteins, referred to as LsAQP1, CoAQP1, and SpAQP1, respectively. The putative snail aquaporins contain 299 amino acids, have a molecular mass of about 32 kDa, display the general AQP topology and three-dimensional structure congruent with orthodox AQPs, i.e., water-specific ones. Due to high levels of similarity in their characteristics, LsAQP1 was chosen for further studies, as the obtained results were supposed to be applicable for CoAQP1 and SpAQP1. Expression analysis revealed the presence of LsAQP1 transcript in the digestive tract, the cerebral ganglia, the kidney, the reproductive system, and the foot, suggesting that LsAQP1 as well as CoAQP1 and SpAQP1 are ubiquitous proteins and may play important roles in many essential water transport processes. The role appears to be confirmed by results of the yeast growth complementation assay pointing at functionality of LsAQP1. Thus, the obtained results support the AQP expression in gastropod tissues for the first time.
Collapse
|
31
|
Staniscuaski F, Paluzzi JP, Real-Guerra R, Carlini CR, Orchard I. Expression analysis and molecular characterization of aquaporins in Rhodnius prolixus. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:1140-1150. [PMID: 24035749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channels responsible for transport of water and, in some cases, transport of small solutes such as urea and glycerol across lipid bilayer membranes. Hematophagous insects, such as Rhodnius prolixus, ingest large volumes of fluid and must rapidly eliminate the excess of water and salts from the blood meal within the gut. In order to deal with this increase in body fluid volume, a hormone-controlled diuresis is activated, during which a high rate of water and salt absorption occurs across the anterior midgut, followed by secretion of water and salts by the Malpighian tubules (MTs). Previously, one member of the MIP family (major intrinsic protein that includes the AQP family) was identified in the MTs of R. prolixus, and named RpMIP. We have described here that the RpMIP gene has different variants, and is present in tissues other than MTs. In addition, we have characterized a new AQP (RhoprAQP1) found in different tissues of R. prolixus. The expression of these transcripts in unfed insects as well as blood fed insects was evaluated using real-time quantitative PCR. Molecular models of the predicted proteins were constructed and the characteristics of their pores evaluated. A yeast complementation assay was used to validate that the products of these transcripts were bona fide AQPs. Both RhoprAQP1 and RhoprMIP-A were capable of transporting water whereas RhoprMIP-A was also capable of transporting H2O2. Taken together, these analyses suggest that RhoprMIP is probably an aquaglyceroporin, while RhoprAQP1 appears to be a strict aquaporin that transports only water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Staniscuaski
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
|
33
|
Nagae T, Miyake S, Kosaki S, Azuma M. Identification and characterisation of functional aquaporin water channel (Anomala cuprea DRIP) in a coleopteran insect. J Exp Biol 2013; 216:2564-72. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.083386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Summary
Water transport across the plasma membrane depends on the presence of the water channel aquaporin (AQP), which mediates the bulk movement of water through osmotic and pressure gradients. In terrestrial insects, which are solid/plant feeders, the entrance and exit of water is primarily executed along the alimentary tract, where the hindgut, particularly the rectum, is the major site of water conservation. A cDNA encoding the homologue of the water-specific Drosophila AQP (Drosophila integral protein: DRIP) was identified through the RT-PCR of RNA isolated from the rectum of the cupreous chafer larvae, Anomala cuprea, a humus and plant root feeder. This gene (Anocu AQP1) has a predicted molecular mass of 26.471 kDa similar to the DRIP clade of insect AQPs characterised from caterpillars, flies and several liquid-feeding insects. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Anocu AQP1 showed the hallmarks of aquaporin-mediated water transport but no glycerol nor urea permeability, and the reversible inhibition of elevated water transport through 1 mM HgCl2. This is the first experimental demonstration of the presence of a water-specific AQP, namely DRIP, in the Coleoptera. The genome of the model beetle, Tribolium castaneum, contains six putative AQP sequences, one of which (Trica-1a, XP_972862) showed the highest similarity to Anocu AQP1 (~60% amino acid identity). Anocu AQP1 is predominantly expressed in the rectum. Using a specific antibody raised against DRIP in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (AQP-Bom1), Anocu AQP1 was localised to the apical plasma membrane of rectal epithelial cells, and lacking in the midgut and gastric caecal epithelia. Based on the BeetleBase prediction, there are three putative AQPs (Trica-3a, 3b, 3c: XP_970728, 970912, 970791) that are homologous to B. mori aquaglyceroporin (AQP-Bom2 [GLP]). The immunocytochemical studies using the specific anti-peptide antibody against AQP-Bom2 revealed the presence of the GLP homologue at the apical plasma membrane of enterocytes in the midgut and gastric caeca. Thus, DRIP (Anocu AQP1) and the putative GLP share epithelial fluid-transporting roles along the alimentary tract in cupreous chafer larvae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomone Nagae
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Japan
| | - Seiji Miyake
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Japan
| | - Shiho Kosaki
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Japan
| | - Masaaki Azuma
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tottori University, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ishida Y, Nagae T, Azuma M. A water-specific aquaporin is expressed in the olfactory organs of the blowfly, Phormia regina. J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:1057-61. [PMID: 22767214 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0157-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The high sensitivity and selectivity of perireceptor events in insect olfactory organs requires the concerted action of odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), odorant receptors (ORs), and odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs). Sensillum lymph in the sensillum cavity is a physiological saline that not only mediates the olfactory signaling pathway described above, but also protects the olfactory neurons against desiccation. The molecular mechanism of how water balance is maintained in the sensillum cavity still remains to be elucidated. Here, we characterize an aquaporin from the blowfly, Phormia regina (PregAQP1). PregAQP1 possesses six predicted transmembrane domains and two asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA) motifs, and belongs to the Drosophila melanogaster integral protein (DRIP) subfamily. Transcript levels were high in the maxillary palp and moderate in the antenna. PregAQP1 accumulated in accessory cells located underneath a long-grooved hair in the maxillary palp and also in a receptor neuron in a thick-walled sensillum in the antenna. Expression of PregAQP1 in Xenopus oocytes showed water permeability in a mercury-sensitive manner. These results suggest that PregAQP1 plays a role in the maintenance of the aqueous environment of olfactory organs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Ishida
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Azuma M, Nagae T, Maruyama M, Kataoka N, Miyake S. Two water-specific aquaporins at the apical and basal plasma membranes of insect epithelia: molecular basis for water recycling through the cryptonephric rectal complex of lepidopteran larvae. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 58:523-533. [PMID: 22285686 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Revised: 01/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Larval lepidopteran and coleopteran insects have evolved a specialised cryptonephric system in the hindgut in which water is constantly and rapidly taken up before defecation. In the silkworm, Bombyx mori, the movement of water through the epithelia within the cryptonephric rectal complex is likely facilitated by the two aquaporins, AQP-Bom1 and AQP-Bom3. Both are functionally water-specific and are predominantly expressed in the hindgut (colon and rectum). Phylogenetically, AQP-Bom1 and AQP-Bom3 belong to the DRIP (Drosophila integral protein) and PRIP (Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein) subfamilies, respectively, of the insect AQP clade. In immunoblot analyses using antipeptide antibodies for each Bombyx AQP, the predicted molecular mass for the respective AQPs were around 25 kDa, and further indicated that both tended to be oligomerised as a homotetramer (∼110 kDa). AQP-Bom1 [DRIP] was exclusively expressed at the apical plasma membrane of colonic and rectal epithelial cells, whereas AQP-Bom3 [PRIP] was expressed at the basal plasma membrane of these cells. This polarised localisation of DRIP/PRIP was also observed in the outer cryptonephric Malpighian tubules (outer cMT) and in the six tubules just outside the cryptonephric rectal complex (rectal lead MT). In the rectal epithelia, water is transported from the rectal lumen to the perinephric space and then deposited into the lumen of the outer cMT; the water then goes through the tubular lumen to exit the complex and is finally transported across the rectal lead MT. We conclude that rectal water retrieval into the haemocoele occurs at the very limited region of the water-permeable sites in MT epithelia after passing the rectal and cMT epithelia and that the high osmotic permeability is due to the presence of two distinct water-specific AQPs (DRIP and PRIP) in the epithelial cells of lepidopteran hindgut.
Collapse
|
36
|
Herraiz A, Chauvigné F, Cerdà J, Bellés X, Piulachs MD. Identification and functional characterization of an ovarian aquaporin from the cockroach Blattella germanica L. (Dictyoptera, Blattellidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 214:3630-8. [PMID: 21993792 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.057406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane proteins that form water channels, allowing rapid movement of water across cell membranes. AQPs have been reported in species of all life kingdoms and in almost all tissues, but little is known about them in insects. Our purpose was to explore the occurrence of AQPs in the ovary of the phylogenetically basal insect Blattella germanica (L.) and to study their possible role in fluid homeostasis during oogenesis. We isolated an ovarian AQP from B. germanica (BgAQP) that has a deduced amino acid sequence showing six potential transmembrane domains, two NPA motifs and an ar/R constriction region, which are typical features of the AQP family. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that BgAQP belongs to the PRIP group of insect AQPs, previously suggested to be water specific. However, ectopic expression of BgAQP in Xenopus laevis oocytes demonstrated that this AQP transports water and modest amounts of urea, but not glycerol, which suggests that the PRIP group of insect AQPs may have heterogeneous solute preferences. BgAQP was shown to be highly expressed in the ovary, followed by the fat body and muscle tissues, but water stress did not significantly modify the ovarian expression levels. RNA interference (RNAi) reduced BgAQP mRNA levels in the ovary but the oocytes developed normally. The absence of an apparent ovarian phenotype after BgAQP RNAi suggests that other functionally redundant AQPs that were not silenced in our experiments might exist in the ovary of B. germanica.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Herraiz
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF) and LINC-Global, Passeig Maryítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Wallace IS, Shakesby AJ, Hwang JH, Choi WG, Martínková N, Douglas AE, Roberts DM. Acyrthosiphon pisum AQP2: a multifunctional insect aquaglyceroporin. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2011; 1818:627-35. [PMID: 22166843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Revised: 11/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Annotation of the recently sequenced genome of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) identified a gene ApAQP2 (ACYPI009194, Gene ID: 100168499) with homology to the Major Intrinsic Protein/aquaporin superfamily of membrane channel proteins. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ApAQP2 is a member of an insect-specific clade of this superfamily. Homology model structures of ApAQP2 showed a novel array of amino acids comprising the substrate selectivity-determining "aromatic/arginine" region of the putative transport pore. Subsequent characterization of the transport properties of ApAQP2 upon expression in Xenopus oocytes supports an unusual substrate selectivity profile. Water permeability analyses show that the ApAQP2 protein exhibits a robust mercury-insensitive aquaporin activity. However unlike the water-specific ApAQP1 protein, ApAQP2 forms a multifunctional transport channel that shows a wide permeability profile to a range of linear polyols, including the potentially biologically relevant substrates glycerol, mannitol and sorbitol. Gene expression analysis indicates that ApAQP2 is highly expressed in the insect bacteriocytes (cells bearing the symbiotic bacteria Buchnera) and the fat body. Overall the results demonstrate that ApAQP2 is a novel insect aquaglyceroporin which may be involved in water and polyol transport in support of the Buchnera symbiosis and aphid osmoregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Wallace
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0840, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Goto SG, Philip BN, Teets NM, Kawarasaki Y, Lee RE, Denlinger DL. Functional characterization of an aquaporin in the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:1106-1114. [PMID: 21497603 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2011] [Revised: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channel proteins facilitating movement of water across the cell membrane. Recent insect studies clearly demonstrate that AQPs are indispensable for cellular water management under normal conditions as well as under stress conditions including dehydration and cold. In the present study we cloned an AQP cDNA from the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica (Diptera, Chironomidae) and investigated water transport activity of the AQP protein and transcriptional regulation of the gene in response to dehydration and rehydration. The nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed high similarity to AQPs in other insects and also showed characteristic features of orthodox AQPs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Belgica AQP is a homolog of dehydration-inducible AQP of another chironomid, Polypedilum vanderplanki. A swelling assay using a Xenopus oocyte expression system verified that Belgica AQP is capable of transporting water, but not glycerol or urea. The AQP mRNA was detected in various organs under non-stressed conditions, suggesting that this AQP plays a fundamental role in cell physiology. In contrast to our expectation, AQP transcriptional expression was not affected by either dehydration or rehydration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shin G Goto
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Yi SX, Benoit JB, Elnitsky MA, Kaufmann N, Brodsky JL, Zeidel ML, Denlinger DL, Lee RE. Function and immuno-localization of aquaporins in the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:1096-1105. [PMID: 21315725 PMCID: PMC8875278 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2010] [Revised: 01/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Aquaporin (AQP) water channel proteins play key roles in water movement across cell membranes. Extending previous reports of cryoprotective functions in insects, this study examines roles of AQPs in response to dehydration, rehydration, and freezing, and their distribution in specific tissues of the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica (Diptera, Chironomidae). When AQPs were blocked using mercuric chloride, tissue dehydration tolerance increased in response to hypertonic challenge, and susceptibility to overhydration decreased in a hypotonic solution. Blocking AQPs decreased the ability of tissues from the midgut and Malpighian tubules to tolerate freezing, but only minimal changes were noted in cellular viability of the fat body. Immuno-localization revealed that a DRIP-like protein (a Drosophila aquaporin), AQP2- and AQP3 (aquaglyceroporin)-like proteins were present in most larval tissues. DRIP- and AQP2-like proteins were also present in the gut of adult midges, but AQP4-like protein was not detectable in any tissues we examined. Western blotting indicated that larval AQP2-like protein levels were increased in response to dehydration, rehydration and freezing, whereas, in adults DRIP-, AQP2-, and AQP3-like proteins were elevated by dehydration. These results imply a vital role for aquaporin/aquaglyceroporins in water relations and freezing tolerance in B. antarctica.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua B. Benoit
- Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Michael A. Elnitsky
- Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA 16546, USA
| | | | | | - Mark L. Zeidel
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Ishibashi K, Kondo S, Hara S, Morishita Y. The evolutionary aspects of aquaporin family. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2011; 300:R566-76. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.90464.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) were originally identified as channels facilitating water transport across the plasma membrane. They have a pair of highly conserved signature sequences, asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA) boxes, to form a pore. However, some have little conserved amino acid sequences around the NPA boxes unclassifiable to two previous AQP subfamilies, classical AQPs and aquaglyceroporins. These will be called unorthodox AQPs in this review. Interestingly, these unorthodox AQPs have a highly conserved cysteine residue downstream of the second NPA box. AQPs also have a diversity of functions: some related to water transport such as fluid secretion, fluid absorption, and cell volume regulation, and the others not directly related to water transport such as cell adhesion, cell migration, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation. Some AQPs even permeate nonionic small molecules, ions, metals, and possibly gasses. AQP gene disruption studies have revealed their physiological roles: water transport in the kidney and exocrine glands, glycerol transport in fat metabolism and in skin moisture, and nutrient uptakes in plants. Furthermore, AQPs are also present at intracellular organelles, including tonoplasts, mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum. This review focuses on the evolutionary aspects of AQPs from bacteria to humans in view of the structural and functional diversities of AQPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishibashi
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo; and
| | - Shintaro Kondo
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo; and
| | - Shigeki Hara
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo; and
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Mathew LG, Campbell EM, Yool AJ, Fabrick JA. Identification and characterization of functional aquaporin water channel protein from alimentary tract of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 41:178-190. [PMID: 21146609 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2010.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2010] [Revised: 11/03/2010] [Accepted: 12/02/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Some hemipteran xylem and phloem-feeding insects have evolved specialized alimentary structures or filter chambers that rapidly transport water for excretion or osmoregulation. In the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, mass movement of water through opposing alimentary tract tissues within the filter chamber is likely facilitated by an aquaporin protein. B. tabaci aquaporin-1 (BtAQP1) possesses characteristic aquaporin topology and conserved pore-forming residues found in water-specific aquaporins. As predicted for an integral transmembrane protein, recombinant BtAQP1 expressed in cultured insect cells localized within the plasma membrane. BtAQP1 is primarily expressed in early instar nymphs and adults, where in adults it is localized in the filter chamber and hindgut. Xenopus oocytes expressing BtAQP1 were water permeable and mercury-sensitive, both characteristics of classical water-specific aquaporins. These data support the hypothesis that BtAQP1 is a water transport protein within the specialized filter chamber of the alimentary tract and functions to translocate water across tissues for maintenance of osmotic pressure and/or excretion of excess dietary fluid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lolita G Mathew
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, 21881 North Cardon Lane, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Philip BN, Kiss AJ, Lee RE. The protective role of aquaporins in the freeze-tolerant insect Eurosta solidaginis: functional characterization and tissue abundance of EsAQP1. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:848-57. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.051276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
The movement of water and small solutes is integral to the survival of freezing and desiccation in insects, yet the underlying mechanisms of these processes are not fully known. Recent evidence suggests that aquaporin (AQP) water channels play critical roles in protecting cells from osmotic damage during freezing and desiccation. Our study sequenced, functionally characterized and measured the tissue abundance of an AQP from freeze-tolerant larvae of the gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae). The newly characterized EsAQP1 contains two NPA motifs and six transmembrane regions, and is phylogenetically related to an AQP from the anhydrobiotic chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki. Using a Xenopus laevis oocyte swelling assay, we demonstrated that EsAQP1 increases water permeability to nine times that of simple diffusion through the membrane. In contrast to its high water permeability, EsAQP1 was impermeable to both glycerol and urea. The abundance of EsAQP1 increased from October to December in all tissues tested and was most abundant in the brain of winter larvae. Because the nervous system is thought to be the primary site of freezing injury, EsAQP1 may cryoprotect the brain from damage associated with water imbalance. The sequence, phylogenetic relationship, osmotic permeability, tissue distribution and seasonal abundance of EsAQP1 further support the role of AQPs in promoting freezing tolerance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin N. Philip
- Laboratory for Ecophysiological Cryobiology, Department of Zoology, Miami University, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH 45056
- Department of Biology, Rivier College, 420 S. Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060, USA
| | - Andor J. Kiss
- Laboratory for Ecophysiological Cryobiology, Department of Zoology, Miami University, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH 45056
| | - Richard E. Lee
- Laboratory for Ecophysiological Cryobiology, Department of Zoology, Miami University, 700 East High Street, Oxford, OH 45056
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Philip BN, Lee RE. Changes in abundance of aquaporin-like proteins occurs concomitantly with seasonal acquisition of freeze tolerance in the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 56:679-685. [PMID: 20005232 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2009] [Revised: 12/01/2009] [Accepted: 12/02/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of cryoprotectants and the redistribution of water between body compartments play central roles in the capacity of insects to survive freezing. Aquaporins (AQPs) allow for rapid redistribution of water and small solutes (e.g. glycerol) across the cell membrane and were recently implicated in promoting freeze tolerance. Here, we examined whether aquaporin-like protein abundance correlated with the seasonal acquisition of freezing tolerance in the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae). Through the autumn, larvae became tolerant of freezing at progressively lower temperatures and accumulated the cryoprotectant glycerol. Furthermore, larvae significantly increased the abundance of membrane-bound aquaporin and aquaglyceroporin-like proteins from July through January. Acute exposure of larvae to cold and desiccation resulted in upregulation of the AQP3-like proteins in October, suggesting that their abundance is regulated by environmental cues. The seasonal increase in abundance of both putative aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins supports the hypothesis that these proteins are closely tied to the seasonal acquisition of freeze tolerance, functioning to permit cells to quickly lose water and take-up glycerol during extracellular ice formation, as well as reestablish water and glycerol concentrations upon thawing.
Collapse
|
44
|
Ishibashi K, Koike S, Kondo S, Hara S, Tanaka Y. The role of a group III AQP, AQP11 in intracellular organelle homeostasis. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INVESTIGATION 2009; 56 Suppl:312-7. [DOI: 10.2152/jmi.56.312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shin Koike
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University
| | - Shintaro Kondo
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University
| | - Shigeki Hara
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University
| | - Yasuko Tanaka
- Department of Medical Physiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University
| |
Collapse
|