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Huang YN, Lee KY, Shiao SH, Chen CH, Yu GY, Yu MJ. Bloodmeals fuel dengue virus replication in the female mosquito Aedes aegypti. J Virol 2024; 98:e0070124. [PMID: 38888345 PMCID: PMC11265399 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00701-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Vector competence defines the ability of a vector to acquire, host, and transmit a pathogen. Understanding the molecular determinants of the mosquitos' competence to host dengue virus (DENV) holds promise to prevent its transmission. To this end, we employed RNA-seq to profile mRNA transcripts of the female Aedes aegypti mosquitos feeding on naïve vs viremic mouse. While most transcripts (12,634) did not change their abundances, 360 transcripts showed decreases. Biological pathway analysis revealed representatives of the decreased transcripts involved in the wnt signaling pathway and hippo signaling pathway. One thousand three hundred fourteen transcripts showed increases in abundance and participate in 21 biological pathways including amino acid metabolism, carbon metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation. Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation with antimycin A reduced oxidative phosphorylation activity and ATP concentration associated with reduced DENV replication in the Aedes aegypti cells. Antimycin A did not affect the amounts of the non-structural proteins 3 and 5, two major components of the replication complex. Ribavirin, an agent that reduces GTP concentration, recapitulated the effects of reduced ATP concentration on DENV replication. Knocking down one of the oxidative phosphorylation components, ATP synthase subunit β, reduced DENV replication in the mosquitos. In summary, our results suggest that DENV enhances metabolic pathways in the female Aedes aegypti mosquitos to supply nutrients and energy for virus replication. ATP synthase subunit β knockdown might be exploited to reduce the mosquitos' competence to host and transmit DENV. IMPORTANCE Through evolution, the mosquito-borne viruses have adapted to the blood-feeding behaviors of their opportunist hosts to fulfill a complete lifecycle in humans and mosquitos. Disruption in the mosquitos' ability to host these viruses offers strategies to prevent diseases caused by them. With the advent of genomic tools, we discovered that dengue virus (DENV) benefited from the female mosquitos' bloodmeals for metabolic and energetic supplies for replication. Chemical or genetic disruption in these supplies reduced DENV replication in the female mosquitos. Our discovery can be exploited to produce genetically modified mosquitos, in which DENV infection leads to disruption in the supplies and thereby reduces replication and transmission. Our discovery might be extrapolated to prevent mosquito-borne virus transmission and the diseases they cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ning Huang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ying Lee
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Hong Shiao
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hong Chen
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Guann-Yi Yu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jiun Yu
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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2
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Leyria J. Endocrine factors modulating vitellogenesis and oogenesis in insects: An update. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 587:112211. [PMID: 38494046 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The endocrine system plays a pivotal role in shaping the mechanisms that ensure successful reproduction. With over a million known insect species, understanding the endocrine control of reproduction has become increasingly complex. Some of the key players include the classic insect lipid hormones juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, and neuropeptides such as insulin-like peptides (ILPs). Individual endocrine factors not only modulate their own target tissue but also play crucial roles in crosstalk among themselves, ensuring successful vitellogenesis and oogenesis. Recent advances in omics, gene silencing, and genome editing approaches have accelerated research, offering both fundamental insights and practical applications for studying in-depth endocrine signaling pathways. This review provides an updated and integrated view of endocrine factors modulating vitellogenesis and oogenesis in insect females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Leyria
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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3
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Gao L, Yang W, Wang J. Implications of mosquito metabolism on vector competence. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:674-682. [PMID: 37907431 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) annually kill nearly half a million people. Due to the lack of effective vaccines and drugs on most MBDs, disease prevention relies primarily on controlling mosquitoes. Despite huge efforts having been put into mosquito control, eco-friendly and sustainable mosquito-control strategies are still lacking and urgently demanded. Most mosquito-transmitted pathogens have lost the capacity of de novo nutrition biosynthesis, and rely on their vertebrate and invertebrate hosts for sustenance during the long-term obligate parasitism process. Therefore, a better understanding of the metabolic interactions between mosquitoes and pathogens will contribute to the discovery of novel metabolic targets or regulators that lead to reduced mosquito populations or vector competence. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the effects of mosquito metabolism on the transmission of multiple pathogens. We also discuss that research in this area remains to be explored to develop multiple biological prevention and control strategies for MBDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Musselman LP, Truong HG, DiAngelo JR. Transcriptional Control of Lipid Metabolism. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38782870 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2024_808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional control of lipid metabolism uses a framework that parallels the control of lipid metabolism at the protein or enzyme level, via feedback and feed-forward mechanisms. Increasing the substrates for an enzyme often increases enzyme gene expression, for example. A paucity of product can likewise potentiate transcription or stability of the mRNA encoding the enzyme or enzymes needed to produce it. In addition, changes in second messengers or cellular energy charge can act as on/off switches for transcriptional regulators to control transcript (and protein) abundance. Insects use a wide range of DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) that sense changes in the cell and its environment to produce the appropriate change in transcription at gene promoters. These TFs work together with histones, spliceosomes, and additional RNA processing factors to ultimately regulate lipid metabolism. In this chapter, we will first focus on the important TFs that control lipid metabolism in insects. Next, we will describe non-TF regulators of insect lipid metabolism such as enzymes that modify acetylation and methylation status, transcriptional coactivators, splicing factors, and microRNAs. To conclude, we consider future goals for studying the mechanisms underlying the control of lipid metabolism in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Palanker Musselman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Huy G Truong
- Division of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus, Reading, PA, USA
| | - Justin R DiAngelo
- Division of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus, Reading, PA, USA.
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Geng DQ, Wang XL, Lyu XY, Raikhel AS, Zou Z. Ecdysone-controlled nuclear receptor ERR regulates metabolic homeostasis in the disease vector mosquito Aedes aegypti. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011196. [PMID: 38466721 PMCID: PMC10957079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Hematophagous mosquitoes require vertebrate blood for their reproductive cycles, making them effective vectors for transmitting dangerous human diseases. Thus, high-intensity metabolism is needed to support reproductive events of female mosquitoes. However, the regulatory mechanism linking metabolism and reproduction in mosquitoes remains largely unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of estrogen-related receptor (ERR), a nuclear receptor, is activated by the direct binding of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and ecdysone receptor (EcR) to the ecdysone response element (EcRE) in the ERR promoter region during the gonadotropic cycle of Aedes aegypti (named AaERR). RNA interference (RNAi) of AaERR in female mosquitoes led to delayed development of ovaries. mRNA abundance of genes encoding key enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism (CM)-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) and pyruvate kinase (PYK)-was significantly decreased in AaERR knockdown mosquitoes, while the levels of metabolites, such as glycogen, glucose, and trehalose, were elevated. The expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) was notably downregulated, and lipid accumulation was reduced in response to AaERR depletion. Dual luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) determined that AaERR directly activated the expression of metabolic genes, such as GPI, PYK, and FAS, by binding to the corresponding AaERR-responsive motif in the promoter region of these genes. Our results have revealed an important role of AaERR in the regulation of metabolism during mosquito reproduction and offer a novel target for mosquito control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Qian Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Alexander S. Raikhel
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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6
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Chen K, Dou X, Eum JH, Harrison RE, Brown MR, Strand MR. Insulin-like peptides and ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone differentially stimulate physiological processes regulating egg formation in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 163:104028. [PMID: 37913852 PMCID: PMC10842226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.104028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes including Aedes aegypti are human disease vectors because females must blood feed to produce and lay eggs. Blood feeding triggers insulin-insulin growth factor signaling (IIS) which regulates several physiological processes required for egg development. A. aegypti encodes 8 insulin-like peptides (ILPs) and one insulin-like receptor (IR) plus ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone (OEH) that also activates IIS through the OEH receptor (OEHR). In this study, we assessed the expression of A. aegypti ILPs and OEH during a gonadotrophic cycle and produced each that were functionally characterized to further understand their roles in regulating egg formation. All A. aegypti ILPs and OEH were expressed during a gonadotrophic cycle. Five ILPs (1, 3, 4, 7, 8) and OEH were specifically expressed in the head, while antibodies to ILP3 and OEH indicated each was released after blood feeding from ventricular axons that terminate on the anterior midgut. A subset of ILP family members and OEH stimulated nutrient storage in previtellogenic females before blood feeding, whereas most IIS-dependent processes after blood feeding were activated by one or more of the brain-specific ILPs and/or OEH. ILPs and OEH with different biological activities also exhibited differences in IIS as measured by phosphorylation of the IR, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt kinase (AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Altogether, our results provide the first results that compare the functional activities of all ILP family members and OEH produced by an insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangkang Chen
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Dou
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jai Hoon Eum
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ruby E Harrison
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Mark R Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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Gao X, Zhang J, Qin Q, Wu P, Zhang H, Meng Q. Metabolic changes during larval-pupal metamorphosis of Helicoverpa armigera. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:1663-1676. [PMID: 37200210 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Energy metabolism is essential for insect metamorphosis. The accumulation and utilization of energy is still not completely clear during larval-pupal metamorphosis of holometabolous insects. We used metabolome and transcriptome analysis to reveal key metabolic changes in the fat body and plasma and the underlying metabolic regulation mechanism of Helicoverpa armigera, an important global agricultural insect pest, during larval-pupal metamorphosis. During the feeding stage, activation of aerobic glycolysis provided intermediate metabolites and energy for cell proliferation and lipid synthesis. During the non-feeding stages (the initiation of the wandering stage and the prepupal stage), aerobic glycolysis was suppressed, while, triglyceride degradation was activated in the fat body. The blocking of metabolic pathways in the fat body was probably caused by 20-hydroxyecdysone-induced cell apoptosis. 20-hydroxyecdysone cooperated with carnitine to promote the degradation of triglycerides and the accumulation of acylcarnitines in the hemolymph, allowing rapid transportation and supply of lipids from the fat body to other organs, which provided a valuable reference for revealing the metabolic regulation mechanism of lepidopteran larvae during the last instar. Carnitine and acylcarnitines are first reported to be key factors that mediate the degradation and utilization of lipids during larval-pupal metamorphosis of lepidopteran insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jihong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qilian Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peipei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Martins da Silva R, de Oliveira Daumas Filho CR, Calixto C, Nascimento da Silva J, Lopes C, da Silva Vaz I, Logullo C. PEPCK and glucose metabolism homeostasis in arthropods. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 160:103986. [PMID: 37454751 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The fat body is responsible for a variety of functions related to energy metabolism in arthropods, by controlling the processes of de novo glucose production (gluconeogenesis) and glycogen metabolism. The rate-limiting factor of gluconeogenesis is the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), generally considered to be the first committed step in this pathway. Although the study of PEPCK and gluconeogenesis has been for decades restricted to mammalian models, especially focusing on muscle and liver tissue, current research has demonstrated particularities about the regulation of this enzyme in arthropods, and described new functions. This review will focus on arthropod PEPCK, discuss different aspects to PEPCK regulation and function, its general role in the regulation of gluconeogenesis and other pathways. The text also presents our views on potentially important new directions for research involving this enzyme in a variety of metabolic adaptations (e.g. diapause), discussing enzyme isoforms, roles during arthropod embryogenesis, as well as involvement in vector-pathogen interactions, contributing to a better understanding of insect vectors of diseases and their control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Martins da Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Renato de Oliveira Daumas Filho
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Christiano Calixto
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jhenifer Nascimento da Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Cintia Lopes
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular - INCT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Luo Y, Liu D, Wang Y, Zhang F, Xu Y, Pu Q, Zhao L, Wei T, Fan T, Lou Y, Liu S. Combined analysis of the proteome and metabolome provides insight into microRNA-1174 function in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:271. [PMID: 37559132 PMCID: PMC10413549 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05859-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathogenic viruses can be transmitted by female Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) mosquitoes during blood-meal acquisition from vertebrates. Silencing of mosquito- and midgut-specific microRNA (miRNA) 1174 (miR-1174) impairs blood intake and increases mortality. Determining the identity of the proteins and metabolites that respond to miR-1174 depletion will increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this miRNA in controlling blood-feeding and nutrient metabolism of mosquitoes. METHODS Antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs [Ant]) Ant-1174 and Ant-Ct were injected into female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes at 12-20 h posteclosion, and depletion of miR-1174 was confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Ant-1174-injected and control mosquitoes were collected before the blood meal at 72 h post-injection for tandem mass tag-based proteomic analysis and liquid chromatography-tandom mass spectrometry non-target metabolomic analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins and metabolites, respectively. RNA interference (RNAi) using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injection was applied to investigate the biological roles of these differentially expressed genes. The RNAi effect was verified by RT-qPCR and western blotting assays. Triglyceride content and ATP levels were measured using the appropriate assay kits, following the manufacturers' instructions. Statistical analyses were conducted with GraphPad7 software using the Student's t-test. RESULTS Upon depletion of mosquito- and midgut-specific miR-1174, a total of 383 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, among which 258 were upregulated and 125 were downregulated. Functional analysis of these DEPs using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment suggested that miR-1174 plays important regulatory roles in amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and sugar metabolism pathways. A total of 292 differential metabolites were identified, of which 141 were upregulated and 151 were downregulated. Integrative analysis showed that the associated differential proteins and metabolites were mainly enriched in a variety of metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, citrate cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and amino acid metabolism. Specifically, the gene of one upregulated protein in miR-1174-depleted mosquitoes, purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP; AAEL002269), was associated with the purine, pyrimidine and niacin-nicotinamide metabolism pathways. PNP knockdown seriously inhibited blood digestion and ovary development and increased adult mortality. Mechanically, PNP depletion led to a significant downregulation of the vitellogenin gene (Vg); in addition, some important genes in the ecdysone signaling and insulin-like peptide signaling pathways related to ovary development were affected. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates differential accumulation of proteins and metabolites in miR-1174-depleted Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using proteomic and metabolomic techniques. The results provide functional evidence for the role of the upregulated gene PNP in gut physiological activities. Our findings highlight key molecular changes in miR-1174-depleted Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and thus provide a basis and novel insights for increased understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in a lineage-specific miRNA in mosquito vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangrui Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Dun Liu
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Yankun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianqi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqi Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Bobrovskikh MA, Gruntenko NE. The Role of 20-Hydroxyecdysone in the Control of Carbohydrate Levels in Drosophila melanogaster under Short-Term Heat Stress. DOKL BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2023; 511:162-165. [PMID: 37833600 DOI: 10.1134/s1607672923700242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
It is known that 20-hydroxyecdysone is one of the most important hormonal regulators of development, reproduction and adaptation to unfavorable conditions in insects. Here, we show for the first time that exogenous 20-hydroxyecdysone increases the content of two main insect carbohydrates, trehalose and glucose, in Drosophila melanogaster females both in normal conditions and under short-term heat stress. It is found that the levels of both trehalose and glucose increase after 39 min of heat exposure and return to their original levels after 1.5 h. A scheme of hormonal regulation of carbohydrate content under heat stress, involving 20-hydroxyecdysone, juvenile hormone, and dopamine, is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Bobrovskikh
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - N E Gruntenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
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11
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Wang R, Lin Z, Zhou L, Chen C, Yu X, Zhang J, Zou Z, Lu Z. Rho 1 participates in parasitoid wasp eggs maturation and host cellular immunity inhibition. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:677-692. [PMID: 36271788 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Endoparasitoid wasps introduce venom into their host insects during the egg-laying stage. Venom proteins play various roles in the host physiology, development, immunity, and behavior manipulation and regulation. In this study, we identified a venom protein, MmRho1, a small guanine nucleotide-binding protein derived from ovary in the endoparasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator and found that knockdown of its expression by RNA interference caused down-regulation of vitellogenin and juvenile hormone, egg production, and cocoons formation in the female wasps. We demonstrated that MmRho1 entered the cotton bollworm's (host) hemocytes and suppressed cellular immune responses after parasitism using immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, wasp MmRho1 interacted with the cotton bollworm's actin cytoskeleton rearrangement regulator diaphanous by yeast 2-hybrid and glutathione s-transferase pull-down. In conclusion, this study indicates that MmRho1 plays dual roles in wasp development and the suppression of the host insect cellular immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Zhe Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lizhen Zhou
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Caihua Chen
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xianhao Yu
- Engineering Research Center of Natural Enemies, Institute of Biological Control, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Natural Enemies, Institute of Biological Control, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Lu
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
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12
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Ratnayake OC, Chotiwan N, Saavedra-Rodriguez K, Perera R. The buzz in the field: the interaction between viruses, mosquitoes, and metabolism. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1128577. [PMID: 37360524 PMCID: PMC10289420 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1128577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Among many medically important pathogens, arboviruses like dengue, Zika and chikungunya cause severe health and economic burdens especially in developing countries. These viruses are primarily vectored by mosquitoes. Having surmounted geographical barriers and threat of control strategies, these vectors continue to conquer many areas of the globe exposing more than half of the world's population to these viruses. Unfortunately, no medical interventions have been capable so far to produce successful vaccines or antivirals against many of these viruses. Thus, vector control remains the fundamental strategy to prevent disease transmission. The long-established understanding regarding the replication of these viruses is that they reshape both human and mosquito host cellular membranes upon infection for their replicative benefit. This leads to or is a result of significant alterations in lipid metabolism. Metabolism involves complex chemical reactions in the body that are essential for general physiological functions and survival of an organism. Finely tuned metabolic homeostases are maintained in healthy organisms. However, a simple stimulus like a viral infection can alter this homeostatic landscape driving considerable phenotypic change. Better comprehension of these mechanisms can serve as innovative control strategies against these vectors and viruses. Here, we review the metabolic basis of fundamental mosquito biology and virus-vector interactions. The cited work provides compelling evidence that targeting metabolism can be a paradigm shift and provide potent tools for vector control as well as tools to answer many unresolved questions and gaps in the field of arbovirology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oshani C. Ratnayake
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Nunya Chotiwan
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan, Thailand
| | - Karla Saavedra-Rodriguez
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Rushika Perera
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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13
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Xie J, Cai Z, Zheng W, Zhang H. Integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in response to gut microbiota depletion in the abdomens of female Bactrocera dorsalis. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:443-458. [PMID: 35751912 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Insect gut microbiota has been reported to participate in regulating host multiple biological processes including metabolism and reproduction. However, the corresponding molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Recent studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in complex interactions between the gut microbiota and the host. Here, we used next-generation sequencing technology to characterize miRNA and mRNA expression profiles and construct the miRNA-gene regulatory network in response to gut microbiota depletion in the abdomens of female Bactrocera dorsalis. A total of 3016 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 18 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified. Based on the integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA sequencing data, 229 negatively correlated miRNA-gene pairs were identified from the miRNA-mRNA network. Gene ontology enrichment analysis indicated that DEMs could target several genes involved in the metabolic process, oxidation-reduction process, oogenesis, and insulin signaling pathway. Finally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction further verified the accuracy of RNA sequencing results. In conclusion, our study provides the profiles of miRNA and mRNA expressions under antibiotics treatment and provides an insight into the roles of miRNAs and their target genes in the interaction between the gut microbiota and its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfei Xie
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhaohui Cai
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenping Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hongyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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14
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Dou X, Chen K, Brown MR, Strand MR. Multiple endocrine factors regulate nutrient mobilization and storage in Aedes aegypti during a gonadotrophic cycle. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:425-442. [PMID: 36056560 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anautogenous mosquitoes must blood feed on a vertebrate host to produce eggs. Each gonadotrophic cycle is subdivided into a sugar-feeding previtellogenic phase that produces primary follicles and a blood meal-activated vitellogenic phase in which large numbers of eggs synchronously mature and are laid. Multiple endocrine factors including juvenile hormone (JH), insulin-like peptides (ILPs), ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone (OEH), and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) coordinate each gonadotrophic cycle. Egg formation also requires nutrients from feeding that are stored in the fat body. Regulation of egg formation is best understood in Aedes aegypti but the role different endocrine factors play in regulating nutrient mobilization and storage remains unclear. In this study, we report that adult female Ae. aegypti maintained triacylglycerol (TAG) stores during the previtellogenic phase of the first gonadotrophic cycle while glycogen stores declined. In contrast, TAG and glycogen stores were rapidly mobilized during the vitellogenic phase and then replenishment. Several genes encoding enzymes with functions in TAG and glycogen metabolism were differentially expressed in the fat body, which suggested regulation was mediated in part at the transcriptional level. Gain of function assays indicated that stored nutrients were primarily mobilized by adipokinetic hormone (AKH) while juvenoids and OEH regulated replenishment. ILP3 further showed evidence of negatively regulating certain lipolytic enzymes. Loss of function assays indicated AKH depends on the AKH receptor (AKHR) for function. Altogether, our results indicate that the opposing activities of different hormones regulate nutrient stores during a gonadotrophic cycle in Ae. aegypti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Dou
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States
| | - Kangkang Chen
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mark R Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States
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15
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Lau MJ, Nie S, Yang Q, Harshman LG, Mao C, Williamson NA, Hoffmann AA. Lipidomic Profiling Reveals Concerted Temporal Patterns of Functionally Related Lipids in Aedes aegypti Females Following Blood Feeding. Metabolites 2023; 13:421. [PMID: 36984861 PMCID: PMC10051423 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a lipidomic analysis of the whole body of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at different time points over the course of feeding and reproduction. There were temporal biphasic increases of more than 80% of lipids identified at the time of feeding and from 16 h to 30 h post blood meal (PBM). During these two increases, the abundance of many lipids dropped while body weight remained stable, probably reflecting blood lipid digestion and the synthesis of vitellogenin in this period. A concerted temporal pattern was particularly strong at the second peak for membrane and signalling lipids such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), cardiolipin (CL), hexosylceramide (HexCer) and lyso-phosphatidic acid (LPA). Lyso-glycerophospholipids showed three distinct change patterns that are functionally related: Lyso-PE and Lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC), which are membrane lipids, showed little change; LPA, a signalling lipid, showed a significant increase from 16 to 30 h PBM; Lyso-PI, a bioactive lipid, and both lyso-phosphatidylglycerol (LPG) and lyso-phosphatidylserine (LPS), which are bacterial membrane lipids, showed one significant increase from the time of feeding to 16 h post blood meal. The result of our study on the anautogenous insect Ae. aegypti point to specific lipids likely to be important in the reproductive process with a role in the formation and growth of ovarian follicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jia Lau
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Shuai Nie
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Qiong Yang
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lawrence G. Harshman
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Cungui Mao
- Department of Medicine and Stony Brook Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Williamson
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ary A. Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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16
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Yu Z, Shi J, Jiang X, Song Y, Du J, Zhao Z. Neuropeptide F regulates feeding via the juvenile hormone pathway in Ostrinia furnacalis larvae. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:1193-1203. [PMID: 36396604 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Feeding by pests is one of the most important reasons for reductions in agricultural crop yield. This study aimed to reveal how juvenile hormone (JH) participates in larval feeding regulation of the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis. RESULTS Larvae of O. furnacalis exhibit a daily circadian feeding rhythm, with a peak at ZT18 and a trough at ZT6 under both photoperiod (LD) and constant dark (DD) conditions, which may be eliminated by application of fenoxycarb, a JH active analogue. JH negatively regulates larval feeding as a downstream factor of neuropeptide F (NPF), in which knocking down JH increases larval feeding amount along with body weight and length. The production of JH in the brain-corpora cardiaca-corpora allata (brain-CC-CA) is regulated by brain NPF rather than gut NPF, which was demonstrated in Drosophila larvae through GAL4/UAS genetic analysis. In addition, feeding regulation of JH is closely related to energy homeostasis in the fat body by inhibiting energy storage and promoting degradation. The JH analogue fenoxycarb is an effective pesticide against O. furnacalis, controlling feeding and metabolism. CONCLUSION The brain NPF system regulates JH, with functions in food consumption, feeding rhythms, energy homeostasis and body size. This study provides an important basis for understanding the feeding mechanism and potential pest control of O. furnacalis. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuofan Yu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jian Shi
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xuemin Jiang
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yu Song
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhangwu Zhao
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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17
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Conway MJ, Haslitt DP, Swarts BM. Targeting Aedes aegypti Metabolism with Next-Generation Insecticides. Viruses 2023; 15:469. [PMID: 36851683 PMCID: PMC9964334 DOI: 10.3390/v15020469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue virus (DENV), zika virus (ZIKV), and other emerging infectious diseases of concern. A key disease mitigation strategy is vector control, which relies heavily on the use of insecticides. The development of insecticide resistance poses a major threat to public health worldwide. Unfortunately, there is a limited number of chemical compounds available for vector control, and these chemicals can have off-target effects that harm invertebrate and vertebrate species. Fundamental basic science research is needed to identify novel molecular targets that can be exploited for vector control. Next-generation insecticides will have unique mechanisms of action that can be used in combination to limit selection of insecticide resistance. Further, molecular targets will be species-specific and limit off-target effects. Studies have shown that mosquitoes rely on key nutrients during multiple life cycle stages. Targeting metabolic pathways is a promising direction that can deprive mosquitoes of nutrition and interfere with development. Metabolic pathways are also important for the virus life cycle. Here, we review studies that reveal the importance of dietary and stored nutrients during mosquito development and infection and suggest strategies to identify next-generation insecticides with a focus on trehalase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Conway
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Douglas P. Haslitt
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Benjamin M. Swarts
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
- Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Graduate Programs, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
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18
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Lyu XY, Wang XL, Geng DQ, Jiang H, Zou Z. Juvenile hormone acts on male accessory gland function via regulating l-asparaginase expression and triacylglycerol mobilization in Aedes aegypti. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:81-94. [PMID: 35633120 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hormones control the reproductive development of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The adult male reproductive process and mating behavior require adequate nutrients and energy. Understanding the molecular mechanism linking hormones, energy metabolism, and reproduction in male mosquitoes is important. In this study, we found that the size of the male accessory gland, an essential part of the male reproductive system, gradually increased after eclosion. However, it was significantly reduced in male mosquitoes deficient in methoprene-tolerant (Met), the receptor of juvenile hormone. Likewise, egg hatchability of females that mated with Met-depleted males showed the same downward trend. The mRNA level of the gene encoding accessory gland protein, l-asparaginase (ASNase), was reduced in Met dsRNA-treated males. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR results revealed that Met was capable of binding directly to the promoter of ASNase and activated its transcription. RNA interference of ASNase in males resulted in the reduction of egg hatchability of the females with which they mated. These results showed that Met influenced the fecundity of male mosquitoes by directly upregulating the expression of the ASNase gene. Moreover, the levels of triacylglycerol and the sizes of lipid droplets were decreased by 72-78 h after eclosion in the fat body cells, whereas both of them increased in Met-depleted male mosquitoes, indicating that Met knockdown reduced lipid catabolism. These data demonstrate that Met might influence the egg hatchability of females by regulating lipid metabolism and the development of the male accessory gland in male mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yang Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dan-Qian Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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miR-275/305 cluster is essential for maintaining energy metabolic homeostasis by the insulin signaling pathway in Bactrocera dorsalis. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010418. [PMID: 36197879 PMCID: PMC9534453 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that miRNAs play crucial regulatory roles in various physiological processes of insects, including systemic metabolism. However, the molecular mechanisms of how specific miRNAs regulate energy metabolic homeostasis remain largely unknown. In the present study, we found that an evolutionarily conserved miR-275/305 cluster was essential for maintaining energy metabolic homeostasis in response to dietary yeast stimulation in Bactrocera dorsalis. Depletion of miR-275 and miR-305 by the CRISPR/Cas9 system significantly reduced triglyceride and glycogen contents, elevated total sugar levels, and impaired flight capacity. Combined in vivo and in vitro experiments, we demonstrated that miR-275 and miR-305 can bind to the 3'UTR regions of SLC2A1 and GLIS2 to repress their expression, respectively. RNAi-mediated knockdown of these two genes partially rescued metabolic phenotypes caused by inhibiting miR-275 and miR-305. Furthermore, we further illustrated that the miR-275/305 cluster acting as a regulator of the metabolic axis was controlled by the insulin signaling pathway. In conclusion, our work combined genetic and physiological approaches to clarify the molecular mechanism of metabolic homeostasis in response to different dietary stimulations and provided a reference for deciphering the potential targets of physiologically important miRNAs in a non-model organism.
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20
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Wang M, Wang Y, Chang M, Wang X, Shi Z, Raikhel AS, Zou Z. Ecdysone signaling mediates the trade-off between immunity and reproduction via suppression of amyloids in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010837. [PMID: 36137163 PMCID: PMC9531809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The balance between immunity and reproduction is essential for many key physiological functions. We report that to maintain an optimal fertility, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and the ecdysone receptor (EcR) downregulate the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway during the post blood meal phase (PBM) of the Aedes aegypti reproductive cycle. RNA interference-mediated depletion of EcR elicited an increased expression of the IMD pathway components, and these mosquitoes were more resistant to infection by Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, 20E and EcR recruit Pirk-like, the mosquito ortholog of Drosophila melanogaster Pirk. CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of Pirk-like has shown that it represses the IMD pathway by interfering with IMD-mediated formation of amyloid aggregates. 20E and EcR disruption of the amyloid formation is pivotal for maintaining normal yolk protein production and fertility. Additionally, 20E and its receptor EcR directly induce Pirk-like to interfere with cRHIM-mediated formation of amyloid. Our study highlights the vital role of 20E in governing the trade-off between immunity and reproduction. Pirk-like might be a potential target for new methods to control mosquito reproduction and pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mengmeng Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xueli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zuokun Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Alexander S. Raikhel
- Department of Entomology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ASR); (ZZ)
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail: (ASR); (ZZ)
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21
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Bai Y, Pei XJ, Ban N, Chen N, Liu SN, Li S, Liu TX. Nutrition-dependent juvenile hormone sensitivity promotes flight-muscle degeneration during the aphid dispersal-reproduction transition. Development 2022; 149:275958. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In insects, the loss of flight typically involves a dispersal-reproduction transition, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the parthenogenetic pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, winged females undergo flight-muscle degeneration after flight and feeding on new host plants. Similarly, topical application of a juvenile hormone (JH) mimic to starved aphids also induces flight-muscle degeneration. We found that feeding preferentially upregulated the expression of the JH receptor gene Met and a JH-inducible gene, Kr-h1, in the flight muscles, and, thus, enhanced tissue-specific JH sensitivity and signaling. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Kr-h1 prevented flight-muscle degeneration. Likewise, blocking nutritional signals by pharmacological inhibition of the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) impaired JH sensitivity of the flight muscles in feeding aphids and subsequently delayed muscle degeneration. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that enhanced JH signaling inhibited the transcription of genes involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, likely resulting in reduction of the energy supply, mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle-fiber breakdown. This study shows that nutrient-dependent hormone sensitivity regulates developmental plasticity in a tissue-specific manner, emphasizing a relatively underappreciated mechanism of hormone sensitivity in modulating hormone signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Bai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Development Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University 1 , Guangzhou 510631 , China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University 2 , Yangling 712100 , China
| | - Xiao-Jin Pei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Development Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University 1 , Guangzhou 510631 , China
| | - Ning Ban
- Key Lab of Integrated Crop Pest Management of Shandong Province, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University 3 , Qingdao 266109 , China
| | - Nan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Development Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University 1 , Guangzhou 510631 , China
| | - Su-Ning Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Development Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University 1 , Guangzhou 510631 , China
| | - Sheng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Development Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University 1 , Guangzhou 510631 , China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University 4 , Guiyang 550025 , China
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22
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Bidirectional Microbiome-Gut-Brain-Axis Communication Influences Metabolic Switch-Associated Responses in the Mosquito Anopheles culicifacies. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111798. [PMID: 35681493 PMCID: PMC9180301 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The periodic ingestion of a protein-rich blood meal by adult female mosquitoes causes a drastic metabolic change in their innate physiological status, which is referred to as a ‘metabolic switch’. While understanding the neural circuits for host-seeking is modestly attended, how the gut ‘metabolic switch’ modulates brain functions, and resilience to physiological homeostasis, remains unexplored. Here, through a comparative brain RNA-Seq study, we demonstrate that the protein-rich diet induces the expression of brain transcripts related to mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, possibly causing a shift in the brain’s engagement to manage organismal homeostasis. A dynamic mRNA expression pattern of neuro-signaling and neuro-modulatory genes in both the gut and brain likely establishes an active gut–brain communication. The disruption of this communication through decapitation does not affect the modulation of the neuro-modulator receptor genes in the gut. In parallel, an unusual and paramount shift in the level of neurotransmitters (NTs), from the brain to the gut after blood feeding, further supports the idea of the gut’s ability to serve as a ‘second brain’. After blood-feeding, a moderate enrichment of the gut microbial population, and altered immunity in the gut of histamine receptor-silenced mosquitoes, provide initial evidence that the gut-microbiome plays a crucial role in gut–brain–axis communication. Finally, a comparative metagenomics evaluation of the gut microbiome highlighted that blood-feeding enriches the family members of the Morganellaceae and Pseudomonadaceae bacterial communities. The notable observation of a rapid proliferation of Pseudomonas bacterial sp. and tryptophan enrichment in the gut correlates with the suppression of appetite after blood-feeding. Additionally, altered NTs dynamics of naïve and aseptic mosquitoes provide further evidence that gut-endosymbionts are key modulators for the synthesis of major neuroactive molecules. Our data establish a new conceptual understanding of microbiome–gut–brain–axis communication in mosquitoes.
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Gáliková M, Klepsatel P. Endocrine control of glycogen and triacylglycerol breakdown in the fly model. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 138:104-116. [PMID: 35393234 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the combination of genetics, transcriptomic and proteomic approaches yielded substantial insights into the mechanisms behind the synthesis and breakdown of energy stores in the model organisms. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been particularly useful to unravel genetic regulations of energy metabolism. Despite the considerable evolutionary distance between humans and flies, the energy storage organs, main metabolic pathways, and even their genetic regulations remained relatively conserved. Glycogen and fat are universal energy reserves used in all animal phyla and several of their endocrine regulators, such as the insulin pathway, are highly evolutionarily conserved. Nevertheless, some of the factors inducing catabolism of energy stores have diverged significantly during evolution. Moreover, even within a single insect species, D. melanogaster, there are substantial developmental and context-dependent variances in the regulation of energy stores. These differences include, among others, the endocrine pathways that govern the catabolic events or the predominant fuel which is utilized for the given process. For example, many catabolic regulators that control energy reserves in adulthood seem to be largely dispensable for energy mobilization during development. In this review, we focus on a selection of the most important catabolic regulators from the group of peptide hormones (Adipokinetic hormone, Corazonin), catecholamines (octopamine), steroid hormones (20-hydroxyecdysone), and other factors (extracellular adenosine, regulators of lipase Brummer). We discuss their roles in the mobilization of energy reserves for processes such as development through non-feeding stages, flight or starvation survival. Finally, we conclude with future perspectives on the energy balance research in the fly model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Gáliková
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Peter Klepsatel
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Cheng Y, Lu T, Guo J, Lin Z, Jin Q, Zhang X, Zou Z. Helicoverpa armigera miR-2055 regulates lipid metabolism via fatty acid synthase expression. Open Biol 2022; 12:210307. [PMID: 35232249 PMCID: PMC8889172 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect hormones and microRNAs regulate lipid metabolism, but the mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Here, we found that cotton bollworm larvae feeding on Arabidopsis thaliana (AT) leaves had a lower triacylglycerol (TAG) level and more delayed development than individuals feeding on artificial diet (AD). Association analysis of small RNA and mRNA revealed that the level of miR-2055, a microRNA related to lipid metabolism, was significantly higher in larvae feeding on AT. Dual-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated miR-2055 binding to 3' UTR of fatty acid synthase (FAS) mRNA to suppress its expression. Elevating the level of miR-2055 in larvae by agomir injection decreased FAS mRNA and protein levels, which resulted in reduction of free fatty acid (FFA) and TAG in fat body. Interestingly, in vitro assays illustrated that juvenile hormone (JH) increased miR-2055 accumulation in a dosage-dependent manner, whereas knockdown of Methoprene tolerant (Met) or Kruppel homologue 1 (Kr-h1) decreased the miR-2055 level. This implied that JH induces the expression of miR-2055 via a Met-Kr-h1 signal. These findings demonstrate that JH and miRNA cooperate to modulate lipid synthesis, which provides new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of metabolism in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China,College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Tengfei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junliang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China,Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiao Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Ning J, Zhou J, Wang H, Liu Y, Ahmad F, Feng X, Fu Y, Gu X, Zhao L. Parallel Evolution of C-Type Lectin Domain Gene Family Sizes in Insect-Vectored Nematodes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:856826. [PMID: 35557736 PMCID: PMC9085898 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.856826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The dispersal stage of pathogens is crucial for the successful spread and infection of their hosts. Some plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) have evolved specialized dispersal stages to reach healthy hosts by being carried out by insect vectors. Because gene gain and loss is a major factor contributing to the evolution of novel characteristics, it is essential to clarify the gene family characteristics among nematodes with different dispersal modes to disentangle the evolution of insect-mediated dispersal. Here, the size of the C-type lectin (CTL) family genes of insect-vectored nematodes was found to be drastically reduced compared with those of self-dispersing nematodes, whereas the diversity of their functional domains was significantly higher. The gene family sizes of vector-dispersed nematodes were only a twentieth of the size of that of a self-dispersing (i.e., without a biotic vector) nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans, and these genes were inactive during the dispersal stage. Phylogenetic analysis showed that some CTL genes of vector-borne PPNs shared higher homology to the animal parasitic nematodes compared with other PPNs. Moreover, homology modeling predicted that the CTLs of insect-vectored nematodes bear remarkable structural similarity to the lectin genes of their vector's immune system. Because CTL genes are important sugar-binding proteins for the innate immune response of C. elegans, the loss of some CTL genes of vector-transmitted PPNs might be responsible for their parallel adaptations to a mutualistic relationship with their vector. These results expand our understanding of the evolutionary benefits of vector-mediated transmission for the nematode and vector-nematode co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haixiang Wang
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China
| | - Yaning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Faheem Ahmad
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Xiaohui Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoting Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lilin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Lilin Zhao
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Kaczmarek A, Boguś M. The metabolism and role of free fatty acids in key physiological processes in insects of medical, veterinary and forensic importance. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12563. [PMID: 35036124 PMCID: PMC8710053 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are the most widespread group of organisms and more than one million species have been described. These animals have significant ecological functions, for example they are pollinators of many types of plants. However, they also have direct influence on human life in different manners. They have high medical and veterinary significance, stemming from their role as vectors of disease and infection of wounds and necrotic tissue; they are also plant pests, parasitoids and predators whose activities can influence agriculture. In addition, their use in medical treatments, such as maggot therapy of gangrene and wounds, has grown considerably. They also have many uses in forensic science to determine the minimum post-mortem interval and provide valuable information about the movement of the body, cause of the death, drug use, or poisoning. It has also been proposed that they may be used as model organisms to replace mammal systems in research. The present review describes the role of free fatty acids (FFAs) in key physiological processes in insects. By focusing on insects of medical, veterinary significance, we have limited our description of the physiological processes to those most important from the point of view of insect control; the study examines their effects on insect reproduction and resistance to the adverse effects of abiotic (low temperature) and biotic (pathogens) factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Kaczmarek
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mieczysława Boguś
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Biomibo, Warsaw, Poland
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Qiu Q, Zou H, Zou H, Jing T, Li X, Yan G, Geng N, Zhang B, Zhang Z, Zhang S, Yao B, Zhang G, Zou C. 3-Bromopyruvate-induced glycolysis inhibition impacts larval growth and development and carbohydrate homeostasis in fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea Drury. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 179:104961. [PMID: 34802511 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2021.104961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As a typical glycolytic inhibitor, 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) has been extensively studied in cancer therapy in recent decades. However, few studies focused on 3-BrPA in regulating the growth and development of insects, and the relationship and regulatory mechanism between glycolysis and chitin biosynthesis remain largely unknown. The Hyphantria cunea, named fall webworm, is a notorious defoliator, which caused a huge economic loss to agriculture and forestry. Here, we investigated the effects of 3-BrPA on the growth and development, glycolysis, carbohydrate homeostasis, as well as chitin synthesis in H. cunea larvae. To elucidate the action mechanism of 3-BrPA on H. cunea will provide a new insight for the control of this pest. The results showed that 3-BrPA dramatically restrained the growth and development of H. cunea larvae and resulted in larval lethality. Meanwhile, we confirmed that 3-BrPA caused a significant decrease in carbohydrate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), pyruvic acid (PA), and triglyceride (TG) levels by inhibiting glycolysis in H. cunea larvae. Further studies indicated that 3-BrPA significantly affected the activities of hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and trehalase, as well as expressions of the genes related to glycolysis, resulting in carbohydrate homeostasis disorder. Moreover, it was found that 3-BrPA enhanced 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling by upregulating HcCYP306A1 and HcCYP314A1, two critical genes in 20E synthesis pathway, and accelerated chitin synthesis by upregulating transcriptional levels of genes in the chitin synthesis pathway in H. cunea larvae. Taken together, our findings provide a novel insight into the mechanism of glycolytic inhibitor in regulating the growth and development of insects, and lay a foundation for the potential application of glycolytic inhibitors in pest control as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Qiu
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Haifeng Zou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Hang Zou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Tianzhong Jing
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - XingPeng Li
- School of Forestry, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, PR China
| | - Gaige Yan
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Nannan Geng
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Bihan Zhang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Zhidong Zhang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Shengyu Zhang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Bin Yao
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Guocai Zhang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China.
| | - Chuanshan Zou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China.
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Xu KK, Yan Y, Yan SY, Xia PL, Yang WJ, Li C, Yang H. Disruption of the Serine/Threonine Kinase Akt Gene Affects Ovarian Development and Fecundity in the Cigarette Beetle, Lasioderma serricorne. Front Physiol 2021; 12:765819. [PMID: 34690822 PMCID: PMC8529032 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.765819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine/threonine kinase Akt, an important component of the insulin signaling pathway, plays an essential role in many physiological processes. In this study, we identified and characterized an Akt gene (designated LsAkt) from the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne. LsAkt contains a 1614 bp open reading frame encoding a 537 amino acid protein that possesses a conserved pleckstrin homology domain and a serine/threonine kinase domain. The expression of LsAkt was high in pupal stages and peaked in day-4 female pupae. In adult tissues, LsAkt was highly expressed in the thorax, ovary, and midgut. The expression of LsAkt was induced by methoprene or bovine insulin in vivo, but significantly decreased by 20-hydroxyecdysone. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of LsAkt resulted in severely blocked ovarian development and reduced fecundity and hatchability. The vitellogenin (Vg) content and juvenile hormone (JH) titers of LsAkt-depletion beetles were decreased, and expressions of Vg and four JH signaling and biosynthetic genes were significantly decreased. Silencing of LsAkt reduced the amounts of glucose, glycogen, and trehalose in female adults and affected the expressions of seven key carbohydrate metabolic genes. Taken together, it is inferred that Akt implicates in L. serricorne reproduction by modification of Vg synthesis, juvenile hormone production and carbohydrate metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Kang Xu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yi Yan
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, China
| | - Shu-Yan Yan
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, China
| | | | - Wen-Jia Yang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, China
| | - Can Li
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Rare Animal and Economic Insect of the Mountainous Region, College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.,College of Tobacco Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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29
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da Silva JN, Simas DLR, Soares AR, Duarte HM, Moraes J, Conceição CC, da Silva RM, da Silva Vaz I, Logullo C. Glucose metabolomic profile during embryogenesis in the tick Rhipicephalus microplus. Metabolomics 2021; 17:79. [PMID: 34463832 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-021-01830-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Metabolomic approaches can assess the actual state of an organism's energy metabolism during a specific morphological event, providing a more accurate insight into the correlations between physiology and metabolic regulation. METHODS The study of the metabolomic profile aim to identify the largest possible number of biomolecules in a certain organism or specific structures. For this purpose, mass spectrometry (MS) and chromatography have been used in the present study. OBJECTIVES In this context, the aim of the present work is to evaluate the glucose metabolomic profile during embryogenesis in Rhipicephalus microplus tick, investigating the dynamics of nutrient utilization during tick embryo formation, as well as the control of glucose metabolism. RESULTS We show that glycogen reserves are preferentially mobilized to sustain the energy-intensive process of embryogenesis. Subsequently, the increase in concentration of specific amino acids indicates that protein degradation would provide carbons to fuel gluconeogenesis, supplying the embryo with sufficient glucose and glycogen during development. CONCLUSION Altogether, these results demonstrated the presence of a very refined catabolic and anabolic control during embryogenesis in R. microplus tick, suggesting the pronounced gluconeogenesis as a strategy to secure embryo development. Moreover, this research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms that control glucose metabolism during tick embryogenesis and may aid the identification of putative targets for novel chemical or immunological control methods, which are essential to improve the prevention of tick infestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhenifer Nascimento da Silva
- Grupo de Produtos Naturais de Organismos Aquáticos, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda and Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Bloco D, Subsolo, Sala 05, Prédio do CCS. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Daniel Luiz Reis Simas
- Fábrica de Árvores Soluções Ambientais, Sitio Anjo Gabriel, Bragança Paulista, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Angelica Ribeiro Soares
- Grupo de Produtos Naturais de Organismos Aquáticos, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil
| | - Heitor Monteiro Duarte
- Grupo de Produtos Naturais de Organismos Aquáticos, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jorge Moraes
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda and Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Bloco D, Subsolo, Sala 05, Prédio do CCS. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Christiano Calixto Conceição
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda and Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Bloco D, Subsolo, Sala 05, Prédio do CCS. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Renato Martins da Silva
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda and Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Bloco D, Subsolo, Sala 05, Prédio do CCS. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda and Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Bloco D, Subsolo, Sala 05, Prédio do CCS. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil.
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Horvath TD, Dagan S, Scaraffia PY. Unraveling mosquito metabolism with mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:747-761. [PMID: 33896683 PMCID: PMC8282712 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nearly half a million people die annually due to mosquito-borne diseases. Despite aggressive mosquito population-control efforts, current strategies are limited in their ability to control these vectors. A better understanding of mosquito metabolism through modern approaches can contribute to the discovery of novel metabolic targets and/or regulators and lead to the development of better mosquito-control strategies. Currently, cutting-edge technologies such as gas or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics are considered 'mature technologies' in many life-science disciplines but are still an emerging area of research in medical entomology. This review primarily discusses recent developments and progress in the application of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to answer multiple biological questions related to mosquito metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Horvath
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children's Microbiome Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shai Dagan
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel, 74100, Israel
| | - Patricia Y Scaraffia
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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31
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Weng SC, Tsao PN, Shiao SH. Blood glucose promotes dengue virus infection in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:376. [PMID: 34311776 PMCID: PMC8314564 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04877-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dengue fever is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease globally. More than 2.5 billion people live in dengue-endemic areas. Previous studies suggested an interrelationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Conversely, glycolysis is a critical metabolic pathway for optimal dengue virus (DENV) replication. However, little is known concerning the effect of glucose on DENV replication in mosquitoes. In this study, we investigated the impact of glucose on DENV replication in mosquitoes Aedes aegypti. Methods Mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti UGAL/Rockefeller strain) were orally infected with DENV (serotype 2, 16681 strain) through infectious blood feeding. The DENV infection and transmission rates were determined by examining mosquito bodies and saliva, respectively, for DENV positivity at different time points after infection. In addition, a reverse genetic approach was applied by introducing double-stranded RNA against genes of interest into the mosquitoes to inhibit gene expression. Results Our data revealed a significant increase of DENV genome levels in mosquitoes consuming an infectious blood meal supplemented with glucose, suggesting that blood glucose is an important factor for viral replication. Interestingly, a significant increase of DENV E protein levels was detected in the saliva 4 days faster in mosquitoes that consumed infectious blood meals supplemented with glucose than in those consuming infectious blood meals alone. Furthermore, we perform RNAi to silence AKT or TOR and investigate the molecular mechanism regulating the glucose-mediated enhancement of viral replication. Silencing of AKT or TOR significantly reduced DENV titers in mosquitoes. Conclusions This study suggested that blood glucose is beneficial to DENV replication and that it facilitates virus transmission in mosquitoes via AKT and TOR signaling. Therefore, our results strengthen our understanding of dengue fever and DM co-morbidity and possibly reveal new targets for specific antiviral therapies. Graphical abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Che Weng
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Nien Tsao
- Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Research Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Hong Shiao
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Cross-talk of insulin-like peptides, juvenile hormone, and 20-hydroxyecdysone in regulation of metabolism in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2023470118. [PMID: 33526700 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023470118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Female mosquitoes feed sequentially on carbohydrates (nectar) and proteins (blood) during each gonadotrophic cycle to become reproductively competent and effective disease vectors. Accordingly, metabolism is synchronized to support this reproductive cyclicity. However, regulatory pathways linking metabolism to reproductive cycles are not fully understood. Two key hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids (20-hydroxyecdysone, 20E, is the most active form) govern female mosquito reproduction. Aedes aegypti genome codes for eight insulin-like peptides (ILPs) that are critical for controlling metabolism. We examined the effects of the JH and 20E pathways on mosquito ILP expression to decipher regulation of metabolism in a reproducing female mosquito. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed genomic interactions between ilp genes and the JH receptor, methoprene-tolerant, a transcription factor, Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1), and two isoforms of the ecdysone response early gene, E74. The luciferase reporter assays showed that Kr-h1 activates ilps 2, 6, and 7, but represses ilps 4 and 5 The 20E pathway displayed the opposite effect in the regulation of ilps E74B repressed ilps 2 and 6, while E74A activated ilps 4 and 5 Combining RNA interference, CRISPR gene tagging and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we have shown that the JH and 20E regulate protein levels of all eight Ae. aegypti ILPs. Thus, we have established a regulatory axis between ILPs, JH, and 20E in coordination of metabolism during gonadotrophic cycles of Ae. aegypti.
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Pinch M, Mitra S, Rodriguez SD, Li Y, Kandel Y, Dungan B, Holguin FO, Attardo GM, Hansen IA. Fat and Happy: Profiling Mosquito Fat Body Lipid Storage and Composition Post-blood Meal. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:693168. [PMID: 38468893 PMCID: PMC10926494 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2021.693168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The fat body is considered the insect analog of vertebrate liver and fat tissue. In mosquitoes, a blood meal triggers a series of processes in the fat body that culminate in vitellogenesis, the process of yolk formation. Lipids are stored in the fat body in specialized organelles called lipid droplets that change in size depending on the nutritional and metabolic status of the insect. We surveyed lipid droplets in female Aedes aegypti fat body during a reproductive cycle using confocal microscopy and analyzed the dynamic changes in the fat body lipidome during this process using LC/MS. We found that lipid droplets underwent dynamic changes in volume after the mosquito took a blood meal. The lipid composition found in the fat body is quite complex with 117 distinct lipids that fall into 19 classes and sublcasses. Our results demonstrate that the lipid composition of the fat body is complex as most lipid classes underwent significant changes over the course of the vitellogenic cycle. This study lays the foundation for identifying unknown biochemical pathways active in the mosquito fat body, that are high-value targets for the development of novel mosquito control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Pinch
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Soumi Mitra
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Stacy D. Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Yiyi Li
- Department of Computer Science, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Yashoda Kandel
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Barry Dungan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - F. Omar Holguin
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Geoffrey M. Attardo
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Immo A. Hansen
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
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Nascimento PVP, Almeida-Oliveira F, Macedo-Silva A, Ausina P, Motinha C, Sola-Penna M, Majerowicz D. Gene annotation of nuclear receptor superfamily genes in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus and the effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone on lipid metabolism. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 30:297-314. [PMID: 33455040 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone is fundamental for regulating moulting and metamorphosis in immature insects, and it plays a role in physiological regulation in adult insects. This hormone acts by binding and activating a receptor, the ecdysone receptor, which is part of the nuclear receptor gene superfamily. Here, we analyse the genome of the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus to annotate the nuclear receptor superfamily genes. The R. prolixus genome displays a possible duplication of the HNF4 gene. All the analysed insect organs express most nuclear receptor genes as shown by RT-PCR. The quantitative PCR analysis showed that the RpEcR and RpUSP genes are highly expressed in the testis, while the RpHNF4-1 and RpHNF4-2 genes are more active in the fat body and ovaries and in the anterior midgut, respectively. Feeding does not induce detectable changes in the expression of these genes in the fat body. However, the expression of the RpHNF4-2 gene is always higher than that of RpHNF4-1. Treating adult females with 20-hydroxyecdysone increased the amount of triacylglycerol stored in the fat bodies by increasing their lipogenic capacity. These results indicate that 20-hydroxyecdysone acts on the lipid metabolism of adult insects, although the underlying mechanism is not clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- P V P Nascimento
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - F Almeida-Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - A Macedo-Silva
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - P Ausina
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - C Motinha
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Sola-Penna
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - D Majerowicz
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV; Flaviviridae) is a devastating virus transmitted to humans by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The interaction of the virus with the mosquito vector is poorly known. The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated interruption or activation of immunity-related genes in the Toll, IMD, JAK-STAT, and short interfering RNA (siRNA) pathways did not affect ZIKV infection in A. aegypti. Transcriptome-based analysis indicated that most immunity-related genes were upregulated in response to ZIKV infection, including leucine-rich immune protein (LRIM) genes. Further, there was a significant increment in the ZIKV load in LRIM9-, LRIM10A-, and LIRM10B-silenced A. aegypti, suggesting their function in modulating viral infection. Further, gene function enrichment analysis revealed that viral infection increased global ribosomal activity. Silencing of RpL23 and RpL27, two ribosomal large subunit genes, increased mosquito resistance to ZIKV infection. In vitro fat body culture assay revealed that the expression of RpL23 and RpL27 was responsive to the Juvenile hormone (JH) signaling pathway. These two genes were transcriptionally regulated by JH and its receptor methoprene-tolerant (Met) complex. Silencing of Met also inhibited ZIKV infection in A. aegypti. This suggests that ZIKV enhances ribosomal activity through JH regulation to promote infection in mosquitoes. Together, these data reveal A. aegypti immune responses to ZIKV and suggest a control strategy that reduces ZIKV transmission by modulating host factors. IMPORTANCE Most flaviviruses are transmitted between hosts by arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes. Since therapeutics or vaccines are lacking for most mosquito-borne diseases, reducing the mosquito vector competence is an effective way to decrease disease burden. We used high-throughput sequencing technology to study the interaction between mosquito Aedes aegypti and ZIKV. Leucine-rich immune protein (LRIM) genes were involved in the defense in response to viral infection. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of RpL23 and RpL27, two JH-regulated ribosomal large subunit genes, suppressed ZIKV infection in A. aegypti. These results suggest a novel control strategy that could block the transmission of ZIKV.
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Talyuli OAC, Bottino-Rojas V, Polycarpo CR, Oliveira PL, Paiva-Silva GO. Non-immune Traits Triggered by Blood Intake Impact Vectorial Competence. Front Physiol 2021; 12:638033. [PMID: 33737885 PMCID: PMC7960658 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.638033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood-feeding arthropods are considered an enormous public health threat. They are vectors of a plethora of infectious agents that cause potentially fatal diseases like Malaria, Dengue fever, Leishmaniasis, and Lyme disease. These vectors shine due to their own physiological idiosyncrasies, but one biological aspect brings them all together: the requirement of blood intake for development and reproduction. It is through blood-feeding that they acquire pathogens and during blood digestion that they summon a collection of multisystemic events critical for vector competence. The literature is focused on how classical immune pathways (Toll, IMD, and JAK/Stat) are elicited throughout the course of vector infection. Still, they are not the sole determinants of host permissiveness. The dramatic changes that are the hallmark of the insect physiology after a blood meal intake are the landscape where a successful infection takes place. Dominant processes that occur in response to a blood meal are not canonical immunological traits yet are critical in establishing vector competence. These include hormonal circuitries and reproductive physiology, midgut permeability barriers, midgut homeostasis, energy metabolism, and proteolytic activity. On the other hand, the parasites themselves have a role in the outcome of these blood triggered physiological events, consistently using them in their favor. Here, to enlighten the knowledge on vector-pathogen interaction beyond the immune pathways, we will explore different aspects of the vector physiology, discussing how they give support to these long-dated host-parasite relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Octavio A C Talyuli
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Bottino-Rojas
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carla R Polycarpo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro L Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriela O Paiva-Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Ekoka E, Maharaj S, Nardini L, Dahan-Moss Y, Koekemoer LL. 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling as a promising target for the chemical control of malaria vectors. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:86. [PMID: 33514413 PMCID: PMC7844807 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04558-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
With the rapid development and spread of resistance to insecticides among anopheline malaria vectors, the efficacy of current World Health Organization (WHO)-approved insecticides targeting these vectors is under threat. This has led to the development of novel interventions, including improved and enhanced insecticide formulations with new targets or synergists or with added sterilants and/or antimalarials, among others. To date, several studies in mosquitoes have revealed that the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling pathway regulates both vector abundance and competence, two parameters that influence malaria transmission. Therefore, insecticides which target 20E signaling (e.g. methoxyfenozide and halofenozide) may be an asset for malaria vector control. While such insecticides are already commercially available for lepidopteran and coleopteran pests, they still need to be approved by the WHO for malaria vector control programs. Until recently, chemicals targeting 20E signaling were considered to be insect growth regulators, and their effect was mostly studied against immature mosquito stages. However, in the last few years, promising results have been obtained by applying methoxyfenozide or halofenozide (two compounds that boost 20E signaling) to Anopheles populations at different phases of their life-cycle. In addition, preliminary studies suggest that methoxyfenozide resistance is unstable, causing the insects substantial fitness costs, thereby potentially circumventing one of the biggest challenges faced by current vector control efforts. In this review, we first describe the 20E signaling pathway in mosquitoes and then summarize the mechanisms whereby 20E signaling regulates the physiological processes associated with vector competence and vector abundance. Finally, we discuss the potential of using chemicals targeting 20E signaling to control malaria vectors.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Ekoka
- WITS Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. .,Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Surina Maharaj
- WITS Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Luisa Nardini
- WITS Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Yael Dahan-Moss
- WITS Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lizette L Koekemoer
- WITS Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
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38
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Aedes aegypti post-emergence transcriptome: Unveiling the molecular basis for the hematophagic and gonotrophic capacitation. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0008915. [PMID: 33406161 PMCID: PMC7815146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The adult females of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are facultative hematophagous insects but they are unable to feed on blood right after pupae emergence. The maturation process that takes place during the first post-emergence days, hereafter named hematophagic and gonotrophic capacitation, comprises a set of molecular and physiological changes that prepare the females for the first gonotrophic cycle. Notwithstanding, the molecular bases underlying mosquito hematophagic and gonotrophic capacitation remain obscure. Here, we investigated the molecular and biochemical changes in adult Ae. aegypti along the first four days post-emergence, prior to a blood meal. We performed a RNA-Seq analysis of the head and body, comparing male and female gene expression time courses. A total of 811 and 203 genes were differentially expressed, respectively in the body and head, and both body parts showed early, mid, and late female-specific expression profiles. Female-specific up-regulation of genes involved in muscle development and the oxidative phosphorylation pathway were remarkable features observed in the head. Functional assessment of mitochondrial oxygen consumption in heads showed a gradual increase in respiratory capacity and ATP-linked respiration as a consequence of induced mitochondrial biogenesis and content over time. This pattern strongly suggests that boosting oxidative phosphorylation in heads is a required step towards blood sucking habit. Several salivary gland genes, proteases, and genes involved in DNA replication and repair, ribosome biogenesis, and juvenile hormone signaling were up-regulated specifically in the female body, which may reflect the gonotrophic capacitation. This comprehensive description of molecular and biochemical mechanisms of the hematophagic and gonotrophic capacitation in mosquitoes unravels potentially new targets for vector control.
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Chang MM, Wang YH, Yang QT, Wang XL, Wang M, Raikhel AS, Zou Z. Regulation of antimicrobial peptides by juvenile hormone and its receptor, Methoprene-tolerant, in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 128:103509. [PMID: 33264664 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The trade-off between reproduction and immunity has been established for a number of insect species. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing this event is not well understood. In the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the vector of dangerous human arboviral diseases, juvenile hormone (JH) is required for the female post-eclosion development and reproductive maturation. In this study, we have revealed the JH negative effect on the expression of immunity-related genes, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), during the post-eclosion phase of the female mosquito gonadotrophic reproductive cycle. Mosquitoes treated with JH became more sensitive to microbial infection. Mosquitoes subjected to the RNA interference knockdown (RNAi) of the JH receptor, Methoprene-tolerant (Met), showed increased expression of several AMP genes. Met binds to the E-box-like recognition motifs in the regulatory region of the diptericin (Dpt) gene, indicating that JH can suppress the Dpt gene expression through its receptor Met. Hence, JH is involved in the modulation of immune responses during the post-eclosion phase of reproduction. The RNAi knockdown of the peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP-LC) led to a significant reduction of the Dpt transcript level, indicating the PGRP-LC activating role on this AMP gene. Thus, Dpt appeared to be under the dual regulation of both the JH and the immune deficiency (IMD) signaling pathways. Our study provides a better understanding of how JH regulates insect immunity in adult mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Meng Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yan-Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qing-Tai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xue-Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Alexander S Raikhel
- Department of Entomology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 311300, China.
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40
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Zeng B, Ye Y, Ma J, Song J. Juvenile hormone upregulates sugarbabe for vitellogenesis and egg development in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 106:e21742. [PMID: 32978973 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sugarbabe is a C2 H2 zinc-finger transcription factor that is sensitive to sugar and essential for lipid biosynthesis in larvae of Drosophila melanogaster. However, the role of Sugarbabe in adult insect development remains unexplored. Vitellogenesis is a nutrient-dependent process that is promoted by juvenile hormone (JH) in many insect species. Here, we cloned an ortholog gene of D. melanogaster Sugarbabe (DmSug) in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. The locust Sugarbabe (LmSug) has five C2 H2 zinc-finger motifs similar to DmSug. LmSug was expressed at a low level in adult female locusts raised under poor nutrient conditions. JH treatment increased the expression level of LmSug. Knockdown of the JH receptor gene Met caused a reduction of LmSug expression. Depletion of the LmSug transcript level caused a significant reduction in vitellogenin expression in the fat body, resulting in impaired oocyte development and ovary growth. The results suggest that LmSug is expressed in response to JH, and plays an essential role in female insect reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojuan Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yueru Ye
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Jiajie Ma
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Jiasheng Song
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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41
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Tevatiya S, Kumari S, Sharma P, Rani J, Chauhan C, Das De T, Pandey KC, Pande V, Dixit R. Molecular and Functional Characterization of Trehalase in the Mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Front Physiol 2020; 11:575718. [PMID: 33329025 PMCID: PMC7710876 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.575718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Like other insects, in blood-feeding mosquitoes, trehalase (TRE; EC 3.2.1.28), an enzyme that metabolizes trehalose, may influence a wide array of functions including flight, survival, reproduction, and vectorial capacity, but its role has not been investigated in detail. Here, we characterized a 1,839-bp-long transcript, encoding a 555-aa-long trehalase-2 homolog protein from the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. With a conserved insect homology, and in silico predicted membrane-bound protein, we tested whether trehalase (As-TreH) also plays a role in mosquito physiologies. Constitutive expression during aquatic development or adult mosquito tissues, and a consistent upregulation until 42 h of starvation, which was restored to basal levels after sugar supply, together indicated that As-TreH may have a key role in stress tolerance. A multifold enrichment in the midgut (p < 0.001819) and salivary glands (p < 4.37E-05) of the Plasmodium vivax-infected mosquitoes indicated that As-TreH may favor parasite development and survival in the mosquito host. However, surprisingly, after the blood meal, a consistent upregulation until 24 h in the fat body, and 48 h in the ovary, prompted to test its possible functional correlation in the reproductive physiology of the adult female mosquitoes. A functional knockdown by dsRNA-mediated silencing confers As-TreH ability to alter reproductive potential, causing a significant loss in the egg numbers (p < 0.001), possibly by impairing energy metabolism in the developing oocytes. Conclusively, our data provide initial evidence that As-TreH regulates multiple physiologies and may serve as a suitable target for designing novel strategies for vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Tevatiya
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Seena Kumari
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Punita Sharma
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Jyoti Rani
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Charu Chauhan
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Tanwee Das De
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Kailash C. Pandey
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Veena Pande
- Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, India
| | - Rajnikant Dixit
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
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Ahmed TH, Saunders TR, Mullins D, Rahman MZ, Zhu J. Molecular action of pyriproxyfen: Role of the Methoprene-tolerant protein in the pyriproxyfen-induced sterilization of adult female mosquitoes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008669. [PMID: 32866146 PMCID: PMC7485974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure of adult mosquitoes to pyriproxyfen (PPF), an analog of insect juvenile hormone (JH), has shown promise to effectively sterilize female mosquitoes. However, the underlying mechanisms of the PPF-induced decrease in mosquito fecundity are largely unknown. We performed a comprehensive study to dissect the mode of PPF action in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Exposure to PPF prompted the overgrowth of primary follicles in sugar-fed Ae. aegypti females but blocked the development of primary follicles at Christopher’s Stage III after blood feeding. Secondary follicles were precociously activated in PPF-treated mosquitoes. Moreover, PPF substantially altered the expression of many genes that are essential for mosquito physiology and oocyte development in the fat body and ovary. In particular, many metabolic genes were differentially expressed in response to PPF treatment, thereby affecting the mobilization and utilization of energy reserves. Furthermore, PPF treatment on the previtellogenic female adults considerably modified mosquito responses to JH and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), two major hormones that govern mosquito reproduction. Krüppel homolog 1, a JH-inducible transcriptional regulator, showed consistently elevated expression after PPF exposure. Conversely, PPF upregulated the expression of several key players of the 20E regulatory cascades, including HR3 and E75A, in the previtellogenic stage. After blood-feeding, the expression of these 20E response genes was significantly weaker in PPF-treated mosquitoes than the solvent-treated control groups. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the Methoprene-tolerant (Met) protein, the JH receptor, partially rescued the impaired follicular development after PPF exposure and substantially increased the hatching of the eggs produced by PPF-treated female mosquitoes. Thus, the results suggested that PPF relied on Met to exert its sterilizing effects on female mosquitoes. In summary, this study finds that PPF exposure disturbs normal hormonal responses and metabolism in Ae. aegypti, shedding light on the molecular targets and the downstream signaling pathways activated by PPF. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika fever. Insecticides are widely used as the primary tool in the prevention and control of these infectious diseases. In light of the rapid increase of insecticide resistance in mosquito populations, there is an urgent need to find new classes of insecticides with a different mode of action. Here we found that pyriproxyfen, an analog of insect juvenile hormone (JH), had a large impact on the oocyte development, both before and after blood feeding, in female mosquitoes. Pyriproxyfen disturbed normal hormonal responses and caused metabolic shifting in female adults. These actions appear to collectively impair oocyte development and substantially reduce viable progenies of female mosquitoes. Besides, we demonstrated the involvement of the JH receptor Met in pyriproxyfen-induced female sterilization. This study significantly advances our understanding of mosquito reproductive biology and the molecular basis of pyriproxyfen action, which are invaluable for the development of new mosquito control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahmina Hossain Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - T. Randolph Saunders
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Donald Mullins
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mohammad Zillur Rahman
- Quantitative Science Core, Cancer Biology Division, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Jinsong Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Petchampai N, Isoe J, Horvath TD, Dagan S, Tan L, Lorenzi PL, Hawke DH, Scaraffia PY. Mass spectrometry-based stable-isotope tracing uncovers metabolic alterations in pyruvate kinase-deficient Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 121:103366. [PMID: 32276114 PMCID: PMC7249512 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A recent in vitro characterization of a recombinant pyruvate kinase (PK) from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes demonstrated that the enzyme is uniquely regulated by multiple allosteric effectors. Here, we further explored PK gene and protein expression, and enzymatic activity in key metabolic tissues of mosquitoes maintained under different nutritional conditions. We also studied the metabolic effects of PK depletion using several techniques including RNA interference and mass spectrometry-based stable-isotope tracing. Transcriptional analysis showed a dynamic post-feeding PK mRNA expression pattern within and across mosquito tissues, whereas corresponding protein levels remained stable throughout the time course analyzed. Nevertheless, PK activity significantly differed in the fat body of sucrose-, blood-fed, and starved mosquitoes. Genetic silencing of PK did not alter survival in blood-fed females maintained on sucrose. However, an enhanced survivorship was observed in PK-deficient females maintained under different nutritional regimens. Our results indicate that mosquitoes overcame PK deficiency by up-regulating the expression of genes encoding NADP-malic enzyme-1, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-1, phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase, and by decreasing glucose oxidation and metabolic pathways associated with ammonia detoxification. Taken together, our data demonstrate that PK confers to A. aegypti a metabolic plasticity to tightly regulate both carbon and nitrogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natthida Petchampai
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Jun Isoe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Thomas D Horvath
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Metabolomics Core Facility, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shai Dagan
- Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), Ness Ziona, 74100, Israel
| | - Lin Tan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Metabolomics Core Facility, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Philip L Lorenzi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Metabolomics Core Facility, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David H Hawke
- Department of Systems Biology, Proteomics Core Facility, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Patricia Y Scaraffia
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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Fu X, Liu P, Dimopoulos G, Zhu J. Dynamic miRNA-mRNA interactions coordinate gene expression in adult Anopheles gambiae. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008765. [PMID: 32339167 PMCID: PMC7205314 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized as important regulators of many biological processes in mosquitoes, vectors of numerous devastating infectious diseases. Identification of bona fide targets remains the bottleneck for functional studies of miRNAs. In this study, we used CLEAR-CLIP assays to systematically analyze miRNA-mRNA interactions in adult female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. Thousands of miRNA-target pairs were captured after direct ligation of the miRNA and its cognate target transcript in endogenous Argonaute–miRNA–mRNA complexes. Using two interactions detected in this manner, miR-309-SIX4 and let-7-kr-h1, we demonstrated the reliability of this experimental approach in identifying in vivo gene regulation by miRNAs. The miRNA-mRNA interaction dataset provided an invaluable opportunity to decipher targeting rules of mosquito miRNAs. Enriched motifs in the diverse targets of each miRNA indicated that the majority of mosquito miRNAs rely on seed-based canonical target recognition, while noncanonical miRNA binding sites are widespread and often contain motifs complementary to the central or 3’ ends of miRNAs. The time-lapse study of miRNA-target interactomes in adult female mosquitoes revealed dynamic miRNA regulation of gene expression in response to varying nutritional sources and physiological demands. Interestingly, some miRNAs exhibited flexibility to use distinct sequences at different stages for target recognition. Furthermore, many miRNA-mRNA interactions displayed stage-specific patterns, especially for those genes involved in metabolism, suggesting that miRNAs play critical roles in precise control of gene expression to cope with enormous physiological demands associated with egg production. The global mapping of miRNA-target interactions contributes to our understanding of miRNA targeting specificity in non-model organisms. It also provides a roadmap for additional studies focused on regulatory functions of miRNAs in Anopheles gambiae. Metazoan miRNAs typically bind to partially complementary sites in their target mRNAs. The interactions between miRNAs and target RNAs are generally stage-specific and context-dependent. Thus, identification of authentic miRNA targets remains a big challenge. Target identification is even more difficult in mosquitoes where miRNA-mRNA pairing rules are poorly characterized. Using an experimental approach, this study captures thousands of endogenous miRNA-target interactions in female mosquitoes at several critical stages during adult reproduction. Analyses of the target sequences reveal how individual miRNAs accomplish their target recognition in mosquitoes. Interestingly, many mosquito miRNAs exhibit flexibility to use distinct sequences at different stages to pair with their targets, greatly altering target selectivity and expanding target repertoire of miRNAs. Drastic changes in mRNA abundance have been previously reported when adult female mosquitoes attend to varying nutritional sources and physiological demands. The temporal patterns of miRNA-target interactions obtained in this study provide new insights into the roles of miRNAs in tightly controlled gene expression associated with blood-feeding and mosquito oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Fu
- The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Pengcheng Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jinsong Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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45
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Zhang W, Zhao L, Zhou J, Yu H, Zhang C, Lv Y, Lin Z, Hu S, Zou Z, Sun J. Enhancement of oxidative stress contributes to increased pathogenicity of the invasive pine wood nematode. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180323. [PMID: 30967022 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in defence response of host plants versus pathogens. While generation and detoxification of ROS is well understood, how varied ability of different isolates of pathogens to overcome host ROS, or ROS contribution to a particular isolate's pathogenicity, remains largely unexplored. Here, we report that transcriptional regulation of the ROS pathway, in combination with the insulin pathway, increases the pathogenicity of invasive species Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. The results showed a positive correlation between fecundity and pathogenicity of different nematode isolates. The virulent isolates from introduced populations in Japan, China and Europe had significantly higher fecundity than native avirulent isolates from the USA. Increased expression of Mn-SOD and reduced expression of catalase/ GPX-5 and H2O2 accumulation during invasion are associated with virulent strains. Additional H2O2 could improve fecundity of Bu. xylophilus. Furthermore, depletion of Mn-SOD decreased fecundity and virulence of Bu. xylophilus, while the insulin pathway is significantly affected. Thus, we propose that destructive pathogenicity of Bu. xylophilus to pines is partly owing to upregulated fecundity modulated by the insulin pathway in association with the ROS pathway and further enhanced by H2O2 oxidative stress. These findings provide a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms in plant-pathogen interactions and adaptive evolution of invasive species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Biotic signalling sheds light on smart pest management'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China.,3 Laboratory of Forest Pathogen Integrated Biology, Research Institute of Forestry New Technology, Chinese Academy of Forestry , Beijing l00091 , People's Republic of China
| | - Lilin Zhao
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China.,4 College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jiao Zhou
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China
| | - Haiying Yu
- 2 CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China
| | - Chi Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China.,4 College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , People's Republic of China
| | - Yunxue Lv
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China.,4 College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Lin
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China
| | - Songnian Hu
- 2 CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen Zou
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China.,4 College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , People's Republic of China.,5 School of Medicine, Huzhou University , Huzhou 311300 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jianghua Sun
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101 , People's Republic of China.,4 College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , People's Republic of China
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Zhang G, Zou H, Geng N, Ding N, Wang Y, Zhang J, Zou C. Fenoxycarb and methoxyfenozide (RH-2485) affected development and chitin synthesis through disturbing glycometabolism in Lymantria dispar larvae. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 163:64-75. [PMID: 31973871 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fenoxycarb as a juvenile hormone analogue and methoxyfenozide (RH-2485) as a 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) agonist are two main insect growth regulators (IGRs) used for pest control, whose insecticidal mechanisms had been widely reported in past decades. However, there were few studies focused on their effects on the carbohydrate metabolism of insects. Here, we reported that two IGRs (fenoxycarb and RH-2485) significantly affected growth and development of L. dispar larvae and caused larval lethality. Furthermore, both contens of three sugars (glycogen, threhalose, glucose) in four tissues (fat body, midgut, hemolymph and epidermis) and trehalase activity in three tissues (fat body, midgut and hemolymph) of L. dispar larvae were markedly affected by these two IGRs. Moreover, we found that mRNA expression levels of LdTPS, LdTre1 and LdTre2 in L. dispar larvae were dramatically suppressed by two IGRs. Additionally, chitin content in both midgut and epidermis decreased significantly after L. dispar larvae treated with fenoxycarb or RH-2485. Summarily, these results indicated that these two IGRs disturbed glycometabolism in L. dispar larvae, resulting in impeding chitin synthesis, generating new epidermis failure, disrupting molting and larval lethality in the end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guocai Zhang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Hang Zou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Nannan Geng
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Nan Ding
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Yuejie Wang
- Library of Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China
| | - Chuanshan Zou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China.
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Lampe L, Jentzsch M, Kierszniowska S, Levashina EA. Metabolic balancing by miR-276 shapes the mosquito reproductive cycle and Plasmodium falciparum development. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5634. [PMID: 31822677 PMCID: PMC6904670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13627-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood-feeding behavior of Anopheles females delivers essential nutrients for egg development and drives parasite transmission between humans. Plasmodium growth is adapted to the vector reproductive cycle, but how changes in the reproductive cycle impact parasite development remains unclear. Here, we show that the bloodmeal-induced miR-276-5p fine-tunes the expression of branched-chain amino acid transferase to terminate the reproductive cycle. Silencing of miR-276 prolongs high rates of amino acid (AA) catabolism and increases female fertility, suggesting that timely termination of AA catabolism restricts mosquito investment into reproduction. Prolongation of AA catabolism in P. falciparum-infected females also compromises the development of the transmissible sporozoite forms. Our results suggest that Plasmodium sporogony exploits the surplus mosquito resources available after reproductive investment and demonstrate the crucial role of the mosquito AA metabolism in within-vector parasite proliferation and malaria transmission. Plasmodium growth is adapted to the reproductive cycle of mosquitoes, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, Lampe et al. show that the blood-meal induced miR-276 balances the termination of the mosquito amino acid catabolism and egg development, providing nutrients for Plasmodium sporozoite development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lampe
- Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Physiology and Metabolism Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT, London, UK
| | - Marius Jentzsch
- Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Elena A Levashina
- Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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Aedes aegypti HPX8C modulates immune responses against viral infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007287. [PMID: 30986216 PMCID: PMC6464178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes act as vectors of numerous pathogens that cause human diseases. Dengue virus (DENV) transmitted by mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is responsible for dengue fever epidemics worldwide with a serious impact on human health. Currently, disease control mainly relies on vector targeted intervention strategies. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the innate immune response of mosquitoes against pathogens. In the present study, the expression profiles of immunity-related genes in the midgut responding to DENV infection by feeding were analyzed by transcriptome and quantitative real-time PCR. The level of Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) increased seven days post-infection (d.p.i.), which could be induced by the Toll immune pathway. The expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) genes, including antioxidant genes, such as HPX7, HPX8A, HPX8B, HPX8C were induced at one d.p.i. and peaked again at ten d.p.i. in the midgut. Interestingly, down-regulation of the antioxidant gene HPX8C by RNA interference led to reduction in the virus titer in the mosquito, probably due to the elevated levels of ROS. Application of a ROS inhibitor and scavenger molecules further established the role of oxygen free radicals in the modulation of the immune response to DENV infection. Overall, our comparative transcriptome analyses provide valuable information about the regulation of immunity related genes in the transmission vector in response to DENV infection. It further allows us to identify novel molecular mechanisms underlying the host-virus interaction, which might aid in the development of novel strategies to control mosquito-borne diseases. HPX8C is a heme-containing peroxidase, which can move reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage to the organism by reducing H2O2 to H2O. Previously, the peroxidase gene has been shown to modulate midgut immunity and regulate anti-malarial response in mosquitoes. In this study, the classical immune signaling pathways, Toll and IMD genes might be late responses against the viruses. HPX8C was demonstrated here to play a role in antiviral immunity against DENV infection in Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes. HPX8C expression was induced by DENV infection and continued to increase with an elevated virus titer. In HPX8C-depleted mosquitoes, the ROS level was found to be increased with a corresponding decrease in the DENV and ZIKV virus titer. Therefore, it was speculated that HPX8C mediated immune responses against the DENV in the mosquito in the late stage of viral infection, which could be controlled by Toll pathway.
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Abstract
The insect fat body is analogous to vertebrate adipose tissue and liver. In this review, the new and exciting advancements made in fat body biology in the last decade are summarized. Controlled by hormonal and nutritional signals, insect fat body cells undergo mitosis during embryogenesis, endoreplication during the larval stages, and remodeling during metamorphosis and regulate reproduction in adults. Fat body tissues are major sites for nutrient storage, energy metabolism, innate immunity, and detoxification. Recent studies have revealed that the fat body plays a central role in the integration of hormonal and nutritional signals to regulate larval growth, body size, circadian clock, pupal diapause, longevity, feeding behavior, and courtship behavior, partially by releasing fat body signals to remotely control the brain. In addition, the fat body has emerged as a fascinating model for studying metabolic disorders and immune diseases. Potential future directions for fat body biology are also proposed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China; , ,
| | - Xiaoqiang Yu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China; , ,
| | - Qili Feng
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China; , ,
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50
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Petchampai N, Murillo-Solano C, Isoe J, Pizarro JC, Scaraffia PY. Distinctive regulatory properties of pyruvate kinase 1 from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 104:82-90. [PMID: 30578824 PMCID: PMC6814295 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are vectors of arboviruses that cause diseases of public health significance. The discovery of new metabolic targets is crucial for improving mosquito control strategies. We recently demonstrated that glucose oxidation supports ammonia detoxification in A. aegypti. Pyruvate kinase (PK, EC 2.7.1.40) catalyzes the last step of the glycolytic pathway. In most organisms, one or more allosteric effectors control PK activity. However, the kinetic properties and structure of PK in mosquitoes have not been previously reported. In this study, two alternatively spliced mRNA variants (AaPK1 and AaPK2) that code for PKs were identified in the A. aegypti genome. The AaPK1 mRNA variant, which encodes a 529 amino acid protein with an estimated molecular weight of ∼57 kDa, was cloned. The protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The AaPK1 kinetic properties were identified. The recombinant protein was also crystallized and its 3D structure determined. We found that alanine, glutamine, proline, serine and fructose-1-phosphate displayed a classic allosteric activation on AaPK1. Ribulose-5-phosphate acted as an allosteric inhibitor of AaPK1 but its inhibitory effect was reversed by alanine, glutamine, proline and serine. Additionally, the allosteric activation of AaPK1 by amino acids was weakened by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, whereas the allosteric activation of AaPK1 by alanine and serine was diminished by glucose-6-phosphate. The AaPK1 structure shows the presence of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate in the allosteric site. Together, our results reveal that specific amino acids and phosphorylated sugars tightly regulate conformational dynamics and catalytic changes of AaPK1. The distinctive AaPK1 allosteric properties support a complex role for this enzyme within mosquito metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natthida Petchampai
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Claribel Murillo-Solano
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Jun Isoe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Juan C Pizarro
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
| | - Patricia Y Scaraffia
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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