51
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Zhou K, Zhou F, Jiang S, Huang J, Yang Q, Yang L, Jiang S. Ecdysone inducible gene E75 from black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon: Characterization and elucidation of its role in molting. Mol Reprod Dev 2019; 86:265-277. [PMID: 30618055 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Molting is controlled by ecdysteroids, which are synthesized and secreted by the Y-organ in crustaceans. Ecdysone inducible gene, E75, is an early-response gene in the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling pathway, with crucial roles in arthropod development. Complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding Penaeus monodon E75 (PmE75) was cloned using RT-PCR and RACE. PmE75 cDNA was 3526 bp long and encoded a 799-amino acid protein. Tissue distribution analysis showed that PmE75 was expressed ubiquitously in selected tissues, and was relatively abundant in the epidermis, muscle, and hepatopancreas. Developmental expression revealed that PmE75 was expressed throughout its life cycle. Silencing PmE75 significantly decreased PmE75 expression. Shrimps injected with PBS and dsGFP started molting on Day 7 and had almost completed molting on Day 9, whereas dsPmE75-injected shrimp presented no signs of molting. These results suggested that PmE75 might be involved in molting. In situ hybridization results support this hypothesis. To explore the role of 20E and eyestalks in the regulation of molting in P. monodon, exogenous 20E injection and eyestalk ablation (ESA) were performed, and showed that 20E can induce the transcription and expression of PmE75 in the hepatopancreas, epidermis, and muscle, which were significantly elevated after ESA. These results provide further insights into our understanding of molting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaimin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Shenzhen Base of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Falin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Shenzhen Base of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Song Jiang
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Shenzhen Base of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhua Huang
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Shenzhen Base of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qibin Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lishi Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shigui Jiang
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Zhang J, Xi G, Guo Z, Jia F. RNA-Seq analysis of Polyrhachis vicina Roger and insights into the heat shock protein 90 and 70 families. Cell Stress Chaperones 2019; 24:45-58. [PMID: 30377954 PMCID: PMC6363624 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-018-0940-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and heat shock cognate proteins (Hsc70) have been identified as chaperones of the ecdysone receptor (EcR)/ultraspiracle protein (USP) heterocomplex. However, little is known about the status of Hsp90 and Hsc70 in Polyrhachis vicina Roger. Here, we sequenced the transcriptomes of adult ants in P. vicina for the first time. Clean reads in female, male, and worker ants were annotated into 40,147 transcripts, and 37,488, 28,300, and 33,638 unigenes were assembled in female, male, and worker ants, respectively. According to RPKM, the numbers of differentially expressed genes between female and male ants, between female and worker ants, and between male and worker ants and the common differentially expressed genes were 12,657, 21,630, 15,112 and 3704, respectively. These results reveal that caste differentiation, caste specificity formation, and social divisions of P. vicina ants may be due to gene expression differences. Moreover, PvEcR and PvUSP were also detected as differentially expressed genes in the ants; specifically, PvUSP expression was higher than PvEcR expression in all castes. We speculate that PvUSP may have a role similar to that of juvenile hormone receptor. Four identified PvHsp90 family members and 23 identified PvHsp70 family members were found in the ants, and 2 PvHsp90 genes and 8 PvHsp70 genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Among those genes, the expression of 2 PvHsp90 genes and 5 PvHsp70 genes coincided with the expression profiles of PvEcR and PvUSP, which suggest that the characterization of PvHsp90 and PvHsc70 may be as EcR/USP molecular chaperones in P. vicina.
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Affiliation(s)
- JuanJuan Zhang
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - GengSi Xi
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - ZhiYi Guo
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - FengHua Jia
- Institute of Zoology, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
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53
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Millington JW, Rideout EJ. Sex differences in Drosophila development and physiology. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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54
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Ferreira TN, Pita-Pereira D, Costa SG, Brazil RP, Moraes CS, Díaz-Albiter HM, Genta FA. Transmission blocking sugar baits for the control of Leishmania development inside sand flies using environmentally friendly beta-glycosides and their aglycones. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:614. [PMID: 30501613 PMCID: PMC6271627 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3122-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of American visceral leishmaniasis, a disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania. Adults of this insect feed on blood (females only) or sugar from plant sources, but their digestion of carbohydrates is poorly studied. Beta-glycosides as esculin and amygdalin are plant compounds and release toxic compounds as esculetin and mandelonitrile when hydrolyzed. Beta-glucosidase and trehalase are essential enzymes in sand fly metabolism and participate in sugar digestion. It is therefore possible that the toxic portions of these glycosides, released during digestion, affect sand fly physiology and the development of Leishmania. Results We tested the oral administration to sand flies of amygdalin, esculin, mandelonitrile, and esculetin in the sugar meal. These compounds significantly decreased the longevity of Lutzomyia longipalpis females and males. Lutzomyia longipalpis adults have significant hydrolytic activities against esculin and feeding on this compound cause changes in trehalase and β-glucosidase activities. Female trehalase activity is inhibited in vitro by esculin. Esculin is naturally fluorescent, so its ingestion may be detected and quantified in whole insects or tissue samples stored in methanol. Mandelonitrile neither affected the amount of sugar ingested by sand flies nor showed repellent activity. Our results show that mandelonitrile significantly reduces the viability of L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis, L. infantum and L. mexicana, in a concentration-dependent manner. Esculetin caused a similar effect, reducing the number of L. infantum and L. mexicana. Female L. longipalpis fed on mandelonitrile had a reduction in the number of parasites and prevalence of infection after seven days of infection with L. mexicana, either by counting in a Neubauer chamber or by qPCR assays. Conclusions Glycosides have significant effects on L. longipalpis longevity and metabolism and also affect the development of parasites in culture and inside the insect. These observations might help to conceptualize new vector control strategies using transmission blocking sugar baits. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3122-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tainá Neves Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniela Pita-Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Samara Graciane Costa
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Reginaldo Peçanha Brazil
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Caroline Silva Moraes
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Hector Manuel Díaz-Albiter
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Unidad Villahermosa, Villahermosa, México
| | - Fernando Ariel Genta
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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55
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Bovier TF, Rossi S, Mita DG, Digilio FA. Effects of the synthetic estrogen 17-α-ethinylestradiol on Drosophila melanogaster: Dose and gender dependence. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 162:625-632. [PMID: 30036827 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
17-a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) belongs to the increasing list of Endocrine Disruptors Chemicals (EDCs), able to interfere with the endocrine system in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Regardless of its great dispersion in the environment, to date there is still little knowledge about its action mechanisms and harmful effects in invertebrates. To better evaluate its potential role in invertebrates, we used the model system Drosophila melanogaster, an insect in which the hormonal response has been widely described. The effects of EE2 in D.melanogaster adults have been evaluated by using life traits as well as molecular endpoints. It was found that EE2 significantly decreases survival and fertility in both sexes, with a higher effect in female flies, as well as affects the expression of the Ecdysone Receptor (EcR), Estrogen Related Receptor (ERR), Yolk protein2 (Yp2) and yolkless (yl) genes. In conclusion, our results suggest that EE2 treatment may have potential toxic and endocrine effects on Drosophila melanogaster adults of both sexes. In particular, our data provide an indication that, after EE2 treatment, two of the genes involved in the vitellogenesis process (yl and Yp2) are transcribed in adult males where are mostly silent, and suggest future studies forward their use as potential molecular markers to EDCs exposure in Drosophila male.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "ABT" - CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Damiano Gustavo Mita
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "ABT" - CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy; National Laboratory on Endocrine Disruptors of Interuniversity Consortium INBB - CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Filomena Anna Digilio
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources - CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
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56
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Gondim KC, Atella GC, Pontes EG, Majerowicz D. Lipid metabolism in insect disease vectors. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 101:108-123. [PMID: 30171905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
More than a third of the world population is at constant risk of contracting some insect-transmitted disease, such as Dengue fever, Zika virus disease, malaria, Chagas' disease, African trypanosomiasis, and others. Independent of the life cycle of the pathogen causing the disease, the insect vector hematophagous habit is a common and crucial trait for the transmission of all these diseases. This lifestyle is unique, as hematophagous insects feed on blood, a diet that is rich in protein but relatively poor in lipids and carbohydrates, in huge amounts and low frequency. Another unique feature of these insects is that blood meal triggers essential metabolic processes, as molting and oogenesis and, in this way, regulates the expression of various genes that are involved in these events. In this paper, we review current knowledge of the physiology and biochemistry of lipid metabolism in insect disease vectors, comparing with classical models whenever possible. We address lipid digestion and absorption, hemolymphatic transport, and lipid storage by the fat body and ovary. In this context, both de novo fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis are discussed, including the related fatty acid activation process and the intracellular lipid binding proteins. As lipids are stored in order to be mobilized later on, e.g. for flight activity or survivorship, lipolysis and β-oxidation are also considered. All these events need to be finely regulated, and the role of hormones in this control is summarized. Finally, we also review information about infection, when vector insect physiology is affected, and there is a crosstalk between its immune system and lipid metabolism. There is not abundant information about lipid metabolism in vector insects, and significant current gaps in the field are indicated, as well as questions to be answered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia C Gondim
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Georgia C Atella
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Emerson G Pontes
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - David Majerowicz
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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57
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Lu M, Wang P, Ge Y, Dworkin L, Brem A, Liu Z, Gong R. Activation of mineralocorticoid receptor by ecdysone, an adaptogenic and anabolic ecdysteroid, promotes glomerular injury and proteinuria involving overactive GSK3β pathway signaling. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12225. [PMID: 30111886 PMCID: PMC6093907 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29483-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecdysone is an arthropod molting hormone and has been marketed as a non-androgenic natural anabolic and adaptogen. However, the safety profile of ecdysone is largely undetermined. After ecdysone treatment for 2 weeks, mice developed albuminuria with histologic signs of glomerular injury, including hypertrophy, mesangial expansion, mild glomerulosclerosis and podocyte injury. A direct glomerulopathic activity of ecdysone seems to contribute, since addition of ecdysone to cultured glomerular cells induced cytopathic changes, including apoptosis, activation of mesangial cells, podocyte shape changes and a decreased expression of podocyte markers. To explore the molecular target responsible for the pathogenic actions, we employed an in silico modeling system of compound-protein interaction and identified mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) as one of the top-ranking proteins with putative interactions with ecdysone. The molecular structure of ecdysone was highly homologous to mineralocorticoids, like aldosterone. Moreover, ecdysone was capable of both inducing and activating MR, as evidenced by MR nuclear accumulation in glomerular cells both in vitro and in vivo following ecdysone treatment. Mechanistically, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β, which has been recently implicated in pathogenesis of glomerular injury and proteinuria, was hyperactivated in glomeruli in ecdysone-treated mice, concomitant with diverse glomerulopathic changes. In contrast, spironolactone, a selective blockade of MR, largely abolished the cytopathic effect of ecdysone in vitro and attenuated albuminuria and glomerular lesions in ecdysone treated mice, associated with a mitigated GSK3β overactivity in glomeruli. Altogether, ecdysone seems able to activate MR and thereby promote glomerular injury and proteinuria involving overactive GSK3β pathway signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglei Lu
- Institute of Nephrology, Blood Purification Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, United States
| | - Pei Wang
- Institute of Nephrology, Blood Purification Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Yan Ge
- Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Lance Dworkin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, United States
| | - Andrew Brem
- Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Zhangsuo Liu
- Institute of Nephrology, Blood Purification Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Rujun Gong
- Institute of Nephrology, Blood Purification Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
- Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio, United States.
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58
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Baron A, Denis B, Wicker-Thomas C. Control of pheromone production by ovaries in Drosophila. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 109:138-143. [PMID: 30003888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila pheromones are long chain hydrocarbons (CHCs) produced by specialized epidermal cells, the oenocytes. Here we were explored the role of ovaries in CHC regulation. We studied tudor, a grandchildless-like mutation, resulting in progeny without ovaries and three alleles of ovoD, resulting in ovarian defects depending on the strength of the allele. We show here that these mutant flies with no or abnormal ovaries have a decrease in C29 length CHC ratio, balanced by an increase in C23 and C25 length ratio; this effect is dependent on the strength of the mutation. An increase in the amount of CHCs also occurred but was not related to the strength of ovoD alleles. As ovaries are the main site of ecdysone production in females, we knocked down the receptor to ecdysone EcR in the oenocytes and obtained increased amounts of CHCs and inhibition of long chain CHC synthesis, showing that the lack of an ecdysone signal arriving into the oenocytes is responsible for these defects. We then investigated the role of follicular cells and oocyte on CHC regulation: we RNAi-knocked down the LPR receptors in the oocyte to hinder vitellogenesis without significantly modifying CHC profile. We then expressed apoptosis genes within the follicle cells or within the ovocytes and obtained less long chain and more short chain CHC levels in the former case and an enhanced CHC production in the latter case. Together, these results support the notion of an interaction between oocyte and follicular cells, which send an ecdysone signal to the oenocytes to regulate CHC synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Baron
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie, UMR 9191, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Béatrice Denis
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie, UMR 9191, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Claude Wicker-Thomas
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportements, Ecologie, UMR 9191, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
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59
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Zheng W, Rus F, Hernandez A, Kang P, Goldman W, Silverman N, Tatar M. Dehydration triggers ecdysone-mediated recognition-protein priming and elevated anti-bacterial immune responses in Drosophila Malpighian tubule renal cells. BMC Biol 2018; 16:60. [PMID: 29855367 PMCID: PMC5984326 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0532-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Drosophila is a powerful model for the study of factors modulating innate immunity. This study examines the effect of water-loss dehydration on innate immune responsiveness in the Drosophila renal system (Malpighian tubules; MTs), and how this leads to elevated host defense and contributes to immunosenescence. Results A short period of desiccation-elevated peptidoglycan recognition protein-LC (PGRP-LC) expression in MTs, increased antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene induction, and protected animals from bacterial infection. We show that desiccation increased ecdysone synthesis in MTs, while inhibition of ecdysone synthesis or ecdysone receptor expression, specifically within MTs, prevented induction of PGRP-LC and reduced protection from bacterial infection. Additionally, aged flies are constitutively water-stressed and have elevated levels of ecdysone and PGRP-LC. Conversely, adults aged at high relative humidity show less water loss and have reduced expression of PGRP-LC and AMPs. Conclusions The Drosophila renal system is an important contributor to host defense and can modulate immune responses in an organ autonomous manner, responding to environmental changes such as desiccation. Desiccation primes immune responsiveness by elevating PGRP-LC expression specifically in MTs. In response to desiccation, ecdysone is produced in MTs and acts in a paracrine fashion to increase PGRP-LC expression, immune responsiveness, and improve host defense. This activity of the renal system may contribute to the immunosenescence observed in Drosophila. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0532-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Zheng
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Florentina Rus
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Massachusetts, Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ana Hernandez
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ping Kang
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - William Goldman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Neal Silverman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Massachusetts, Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Marc Tatar
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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60
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Carvalho-Santos Z, Ribeiro C. Gonadal ecdysone titers are modulated by protein availability but do not impact protein appetite. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 106:30-35. [PMID: 28842196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
How animals survey internal nutrient availability to modulate specific appetites is currently largely unknown. Dietary proteins have a profound impact on the reproductive capacity and the selection of food sources in insects. When deprived of dietary proteins, insects stop producing eggs and develop strong protein appetites. In many adult insects, the ovaries are the site of synthesis of the ecdysone hormone. Therefore, an attractive hypothesis is that protein availability changes the gonadal production of ecdysone, which instructs the brain to increase its preference for yeast. We combine quantitative feeding assays, dietary manipulations, hormonal measurements, and genetic germline manipulations to test this hypothesis in Drosophila melanogaster. Our results show that upon yeast deprivation mated adult female Drosophila develop a strong yeast appetite and strongly reduce their egg production. This dietary manipulation also leads to a drastic reduction in ecdysone titers. However, the drop in ecdysone is not linked to the increase in yeast appetite as mutants with impaired oogenesis are able to adapt yeast intake to their nutrient state while displaying a constitutive low ecdysone titer. Interestingly, a low ecdysone titer is correlated with a lower level of overall food intake. Our data therefore show that in mated females the level of ecdysone reflects the level of protein in the diet and the physiological state of the ovaries. While the ovaries and ecdysone are unlikely to instruct the brain to develop a yeast appetite upon protein deprivation, they seem to be able to control overall food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zita Carvalho-Santos
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Carlos Ribeiro
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal.
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61
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Waldvogel AM, Wieser A, Schell T, Patel S, Schmidt H, Hankeln T, Feldmeyer B, Pfenninger M. The genomic footprint of climate adaptation in Chironomus riparius. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1439-1456. [PMID: 29473242 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The gradual heterogeneity of climatic factors poses varying selection pressures across geographic distances that leave signatures of clinal variation in the genome. Separating signatures of clinal adaptation from signatures of other evolutionary forces, such as demographic processes, genetic drift and adaptation, to nonclinal conditions of the immediate local environment is a major challenge. Here, we examine climate adaptation in five natural populations of the harlequin fly Chironomus riparius sampled along a climatic gradient across Europe. Our study integrates experimental data, individual genome resequencing, Pool-Seq data and population genetic modelling. Common-garden experiments revealed significantly different population growth rates at test temperatures corresponding to the population origin along the climate gradient, suggesting thermal adaptation on the phenotypic level. Based on a population genomic analysis, we derived empirical estimates of historical demography and migration. We used an FST outlier approach to infer positive selection across the climate gradient, in combination with an environmental association analysis. In total, we identified 162 candidate genes as genomic basis of climate adaptation. Enriched functions among these candidate genes involved the apoptotic process and molecular response to heat, as well as functions identified in studies of climate adaptation in other insects. Our results show that local climate conditions impose strong selection pressures and lead to genomic adaptation despite strong gene flow. Moreover, these results imply that selection to different climatic conditions seems to converge on a functional level, at least between different insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Marie Waldvogel
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
| | - Andreas Wieser
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
| | - Tilman Schell
- Molecular Ecology Group, Institute for Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
| | - Simit Patel
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
| | - Hanno Schmidt
- Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Hankeln
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Molecular Genetics and Genome Analysis, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
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Genome-Wide Characterization of DNA Methylation in an Invasive Lepidopteran Pest, the Cotton Bollworm Helicoverpa armigera. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:779-787. [PMID: 29298815 PMCID: PMC5844299 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.1112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The genes and genomes of insect pests are shaped by the wide array of selective forces encountered in their environments. While the molecular adaptations that evolve are beginning to be understood at the genomic and transcriptomic level, they have been less well characterized at an epigenetic level. Here, we present a genome-wide map of DNA methylation at single-nucleotide resolution for the cotton bollworm moth, Helicoverpa armigera, a globally invasive pest of agriculture. We show that methylation is almost identical in the larvae and adults of H. armigera and that, through whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), at the most ∼0.9% of CpG sites in this species are methylated. We find that DNA methylation occurs primarily in exons, is positively correlated with gene expression, and that methylated genes are enriched for cellular "housekeeping" roles. H. armigera has an exceptional capacity for long-range migration. To explore the role of methylation in influencing the migratory phenotype of H. armigera, we performed targeted bisulfite sequencing on selected loci from 16 genes that were differentially expressed between adult moths exhibiting distinct flight performance in behavioral assays. While most CpG sites in these genes were not methylated between flight phenotypes, we identified hypermethylation in a demethylase (KDM4) that targets lysine-specific histone modifications, which are strongly associated with transcription and methylation. The H. armigera methylome provides new insights into the role of DNA methylation in a noctuid moth and is a valuable resource for further research into the epigenetic control of adaptive traits in this important pest.
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Zhang B, Sato K, Yamamoto D. Ecdysone signaling regulates specification of neurons with a male-specific neurite in Drosophila. Biol Open 2018; 7:7/2/bio029744. [PMID: 29463514 PMCID: PMC5861360 DOI: 10.1242/bio.029744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Some mAL neurons in the male brain form the ipsilateral neurite (ILN[+]) in a manner dependent on FruBM, a male-specific transcription factor. FruBM represses robo1 transcription, allowing the ILN to form. We found that the proportion of ILN[+]-mALs in all observed single cell clones dropped from ∼90% to ∼30% by changing the heat-shock timing for clone induction from 4-5 days after egg laying (AEL) to 6-7 days AEL, suggesting that the ILN[+]-mALs are produced predominantly by young neuroblasts. Upon EcR-A knockdown, ILN[+]-mALs were produced at a high rate (∼60%), even when heat shocked at 6-7 days AEL, yet EcR-B1 knockdown reduced the proportion of ILN[+]-mALs to ∼30%. Immunoprecipitation assays in S2 cells demonstrated that EcR-A and EcR-B1 form a complex with FruBM. robo1 reporter transcription was repressed by FruBM and ecdysone counteracted FruBM. We suggest that ecdysone signaling modulates the FruBM action to produce an appropriate number of male-type neurons. Summary: The insect molting hormone ecdysone determines whether a single neuron develops a sex-specific structure, through crosstalk with signaling elements in a pathway dedicated to the sex-fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binglong Zhang
- Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Kosei Sato
- Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
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64
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Structure and function of the alternatively spliced isoforms of the ecdysone receptor gene in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12993. [PMID: 29021633 PMCID: PMC5636884 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13474-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an essential molecular mechanism that increase the protein diversity of a species to regulate important biological processes. Ecdysone receptor (EcR), an essential nuclear receptor, is essential in the molting, growth, development, reproduction, and regeneration of crustaceans. In this study, the whole sequence of EcR gene from Eriocheir sinensis was obtained. The sequence was 45,481 bp in length with 9 exons. Moreover, four alternatively spliced EcR isoforms (Es-EcR-1, Es-EcR-2, Es-EcR-3 and Es-EcR-4) were identified. The four isoforms harbored a common A/B domain and a DNA-binding region but different D domains and ligand-binding regions. Three alternative splicing patterns (alternative 5′ splice site, exon skipping, and intron retention) were identified in the four isoforms. Functional studies indicated that the four isoforms have specific functions. Es-EcR-3 may play essential roles in regulating periodic molting. Es-EcR-2 may participate in the regulation of ovarian development. Our results indicated that Es-EcR has broad regulatory functions in molting and development and established the molecular basis for the investigation of ecdysteroid signaling related pathways in E. sinensis.
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Fazio G, Bettini LR, Rigamonti S, Meta D, Biondi A, Cazzaniga G, Selicorni A, Massa V. Impairment of Retinoic Acid Signaling in Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Fibroblasts. Birth Defects Res 2017; 109:1268-1276. [PMID: 28752682 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare genetic disorder affecting the neurodevelopment, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal systems. CdLS is caused by mutations within NIPBL, SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21, and HDAC8 genes. These genes codify for the "cohesin complex" playing a role in chromatid adhesion, DNA repair and gene expression regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate retinoic acid (RA) signaling pathway, a master developmental regulator, in CdLS cells. METHODS Skin biopsies from CdLS patients and healthy controls were cultured and derived primary fibroblast cells were treated with RA or dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle). After RA treatment, cells were harvested and RNA was isolated for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments. RESULTS We analyzed several components of RA metabolism in a human cell line of kidney fibroblasts (293T), in addition to fibroblasts collected from both NIPBL-mutated patients and healthy donors, with or without RA treatment. In all cases, ADH and RALDH1 gene expression was not affected by RA treatment, while CRABP1 was induced. CRABP2 was dramatically upregulated upon RA treatment in healthy donors but not in CdLS patients cells. CONCLUSION We investigated if CdLS alterations are associated to perturbation of RA signaling. Cells derived from CdLS patients do not respond to RA signaling as efficiently as healthy controls. RA pathway alterations suggest a possible underlying mechanism for several cellular and developmental abnormalities associated with cohesin function. Birth Defects Research 109:1268-1276, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Fazio
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Laura Rachele Bettini
- Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Silvia Rigamonti
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Milan, Italy
| | - Dorela Meta
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Cusano Milanino, Italy
| | - Andrea Biondi
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
- Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cazzaniga
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Angelo Selicorni
- Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale San Gerardo/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
- Department of Pediatrics, Presidio S. Fermo, ASST Lariana, Como, Italy
| | - Valentina Massa
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Milan, Italy
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Abstract
The first sex steroid to be crystallized was the vertebrate ovarian hormone, estrone - a less potent metabolite of 17β-estradiol, which in mammals stimulates the female urge to mate (estrus). The gadfly (Greek oistros) lent its name to the process of estrus, as an insect that bites and torments in classical Greek mythology. With the purification and crystallization of a moult-inducing steroid (ecdysone) from insects, an interesting parallel emerged between mating and moulting in lower mammals and arthropods. Ecdysterone (potent ecdysone metabolite) has anabolic effects in mammalian muscle cells that can be blocked by selective estrogen receptor antagonists. Insects utilize ecdysteroids in similar ways that vertebrates use estrogens, including stimulation of oocyte growth and maturation. Ecdysteroids also modify precopulatory insect mating behaviour, further reinforcing the gonad-gadfly/mate-moult analogy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen G Hillier
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive HealthUniversity of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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67
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Endocrine network essential for reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E3849-E3858. [PMID: 28439025 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620760114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH) was originally discovered and characterized as a molt termination signal in insects through its regulation of the ecdysis sequence. Here we report that ETH persists in adult Drosophila melanogaster, where it functions as an obligatory allatotropin to promote juvenile hormone (JH) production and reproduction. ETH signaling deficits lead to sharply reduced JH levels and consequent reductions of ovary size, egg production, and yolk deposition in mature oocytes. Expression of ETH and ETH receptor genes is in turn dependent on ecdysone (20E). Furthermore, 20E receptor knockdown specifically in Inka cells reduces fecundity. Our findings indicate that the canonical developmental roles of 20E, ETH, and JH during juvenile stages are repurposed to function as an endocrine network essential for reproductive success.
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68
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Song Y, Villeneuve DL, Toyota K, Iguchi T, Tollefsen KE. Ecdysone Receptor Agonism Leading to Lethal Molting Disruption in Arthropods: Review and Adverse Outcome Pathway Development. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:4142-4157. [PMID: 28355071 PMCID: PMC6135102 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Molting is critical for growth, development, reproduction, and survival in arthropods. Complex neuroendocrine pathways are involved in the regulation of molting and may potentially become targets of environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Based on several known ED mechanisms, a wide range of pesticides has been developed to combat unwanted organisms in food production activities such as agriculture and aquaculture. Meanwhile, these chemicals may also pose hazards to nontarget species by causing molting defects, and thus potentially affecting the health of the ecosystems. The present review summarizes the available knowledge on molting-related endocrine regulation and chemically mediated disruption in arthropods (with special focus on insects and crustaceans), to identify research gaps and develop a mechanistic model for assessing environmental hazards of these compounds. Based on the review, multiple targets of EDCs in the molting processes were identified and the link between mode of action (MoA) and adverse effects characterized to inform future studies. An adverse outcome pathway (AOP) describing ecdysone receptor agonism leading to incomplete ecdysis associated mortality was developed according to the OECD guideline and subjected to weight of evidence considerations by evolved Bradford Hill Criteria. This review proposes the first invertebrate ED AOP and may serve as a knowledge foundation for future environmental studies and AOP development.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Song
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Section of Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
- Corresponding Author: Knut Erik Tollefsen, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. Tlf.: 02348, Fax: (+47) 22 18 52 00, , You Song, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. Tlf.: 02348, Fax: (+47) 22 18 52 00,
| | | | - Kenji Toyota
- Environmental Genomics Group, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Taisen Iguchi
- Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Section of Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV). P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
- Corresponding Author: Knut Erik Tollefsen, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. Tlf.: 02348, Fax: (+47) 22 18 52 00, , You Song, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. Tlf.: 02348, Fax: (+47) 22 18 52 00,
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69
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Laws KM, Drummond-Barbosa D. Control of Germline Stem Cell Lineages by Diet and Physiology. Results Probl Cell Differ 2017; 59:67-99. [PMID: 28247046 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-44820-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tight coupling of reproduction to environmental factors and physiological status is key to long-term species survival. In particular, highly conserved pathways modulate germline stem cell lineages according to nutrient availability. This chapter focuses on recent in vivo studies in genetic model organisms that shed light on how diet-dependent signals control the proliferation, maintenance, and survival of adult germline stem cells and their progeny. These signaling pathways can operate intrinsically in the germ line, modulate the niche, or act through intermediate organs to influence stem cells and their differentiating progeny. In addition to illustrating the extent of dietary regulation of reproduction, findings from these studies have implications for fertility during aging or disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin M Laws
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Daniela Drummond-Barbosa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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70
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Malik HJ, Raza A, Amin I, Scheffler JA, Scheffler BE, Brown JK, Mansoor S. RNAi-mediated mortality of the whitefly through transgenic expression of double-stranded RNA homologous to acetylcholinesterase and ecdysone receptor in tobacco plants. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38469. [PMID: 27929123 PMCID: PMC5143975 DOI: 10.1038/srep38469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) is a pest and vector of plant viruses to crop and ornamental plants worldwide. Using RNA interference (RNAi) to down regulate whitefly genes by expressing their homologous double stranded RNAs in plants has great potential for management of whiteflies to reduce plant virus disease spread. Using a Tobacco rattle virus-derived plasmid for in planta transient expression of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) homologous to the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and ecdysone receptor (EcR) genes of B. tabaci, resulted in significant adult whitefly mortality. Nicotiana tabacum L. plants expressing dsRNA homologous to B. tabaci AChE and EcR were constructed by fusing sequences derived from both genes. Mortality of adult whiteflies exposed to dsRNA by feeding on N. tabacum plants, compared to non-dsRNA expressing plants, recorded at 24-hr intervals post-ingestion for three days, was >90% and 10%, respectively. Analysis of gene expression by real time quantitative PCR indicated that whitefly mortality was attributable to the down-regulation of both target genes by RNAi. Results indicated that knock down of whitefly genes involved in neuronal transmission and transcriptional activation of developmental genes, has potential as a bio-pesticide to reduce whitefly population size and thereby decrease virus spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Jamil Malik
- Molecular Virology and Gene Silencing Laboratory, Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Jhang Road, PO Box #577, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Amir Raza
- Molecular Virology and Gene Silencing Laboratory, Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Jhang Road, PO Box #577, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Imran Amin
- Molecular Virology and Gene Silencing Laboratory, Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Jhang Road, PO Box #577, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Jodi A. Scheffler
- USDA-ARS, Crop Genetics Research Unit, 141 Experiment Station Rd, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Brian E. Scheffler
- USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, 141 Experiment Station Rd, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Judith K. Brown
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Shahid Mansoor
- Molecular Virology and Gene Silencing Laboratory, Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Jhang Road, PO Box #577, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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71
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Qiu J, He Y, Zhang J, Kang K, Li T, Zhang W. Discovery and functional identification of fecundity-related genes in the brown planthopper by large-scale RNA interference. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:724-733. [PMID: 27472833 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently, transcriptome and proteome data have increasingly been used to identify potential novel genes related to insect phenotypes. However, there are few studies reporting the large-scale functional identification of such genes in insects. To identify novel genes related to fecundity in the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, 115 genes were selected from the transcriptomic and proteomic data previously obtained from high- and low-fecundity populations in our laboratory. The results of RNA interference (RNAi) feeding experiments showed that 91.21% of the genes were involved in the regulation of vitellogenin (Vg) expression and may influence BPH fecundity. After RNAi injection experiments, 12 annotated genes were confirmed as fecundity-related genes and three novel genes were identified in the BPH. Finally, C-terminal binding protein (CtBP) was shown to play an important role in BPH fecundity. Knockdown of CtBP not only led to lower survival, underdeveloped ovaries and fewer eggs laid but also resulted in a reduction in Vg protein expression. The novel gene resources gained from this study will be useful for constructing a Vg regulation network and may provide potential target genes for RNAi-based pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Y He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - J Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - K Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - T Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - W Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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72
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The nuclear receptor E75 from the swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus: cDNA cloning, transcriptional analysis, and putative roles on expression of ecdysteroid-related genes. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 200:69-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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73
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Vafopoulou X, Steel CGH. Mitochondria and the insect steroid hormone receptor (EcR): A complex relationship. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 237:68-77. [PMID: 27497706 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The actions of the insect steroid molting hormones, ecdysteroids, on the genome of target cells has been well studied, but little is known of their extranuclear actions. We previously showed in Rhodnius prolixus that much of the ecdysteroid receptor (EcR) resides in the cytoplasm of various cell types and undergoes shuttling between nucleus and cytoplasm with circadian periodicity, possibly using microtubules as tracks for translocation to the nucleus. Here we report that cytoplasmic EcR appears to be also involved in extranuclear actions of ecdysteroids by association with the mitochondria. Western blots of subcellular fractions of brain lysates revealed that EcR is localized in the mitochondrial fraction, indicating an intimate association of EcR with mitochondria. Confocal laser microscopy and immunohistochemistry using anti-EcR revealed abundant co-localization of EcR with mitochondria in brain neurons and their axons, especially intense in the subplasmalemmal region, raising the possibility of EcR involvement in mitochondrial functions in subplasmalemmal microdomains. When mitochondria are dispersed by disruption of microtubules with colchicine, EcR remains associated with mitochondria showing strong receptor association with mitochondria. Treatment in vitro with ecdysteroids of brains of developmentally arrested R. prolixus (containing neither ecdysteroids nor EcR) induces EcR and abundant co-localization with mitochondria in neurons, concurrently with a sharp increase of the mitochondrial protein COX 1, suggesting involvement of EcR in mitochondrial function. These findings align EcR with various vertebrate steroid receptors, where actions of steroid receptors on mitochondria are widely known and suggest that steroid receptors across distant phyla share similar functional attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colin G H Steel
- Biology Department, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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74
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Ji MM, Liu AQ, Sima YH, Xu SQ. 20-Hydroxyecdysone stimulates nuclear accumulation of BmNep1, a nuclear ribosome biogenesis-related protein in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:617-628. [PMID: 27329527 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The pathway of communication between endocrine hormones and ribosome biogenesis critical for physiological adaptation is largely unknown. Nucleolar essential protein 1 (Nep1) is an essential gene for ribosome biogenesis and is functionally conserved in many in vertebrate and invertebrate species. In this study, we cloned Bombyx mori Nep1 (BmNep1) due to its high expression in silk glands of silkworms on day 3 of the fifth instar. We found that BmNep1 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in silk glands during fourth-instar ecdysis and larval-pupal metamorphosis. By immunoprecipitation with the anti-BmNep1 antibody and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses, it was shown that BmNep1 probably interacts with proteins related to ribosome structure formation. Immunohistochemistry, biochemical fractionation and immunocytochemistry revealed that BmNep1 is localized to the nuclei in Bombyx cells. Using BmN cells originally derived from ovaries, we demonstrated that 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) induced BmNep1 expression and stimulated nuclear accumulation of BmNep1. Under physiological conditions, BmNep1 was also upregulated in ovaries during larval-pupal metamorphosis. Overall, our results indicate that the endocrine hormone 20E facilitates nuclear accumulation of BmNep1, which is involved in nuclear ribosome biogenesis in Bombyx.
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Affiliation(s)
- M-M Ji
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - A-Q Liu
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Y-H Sima
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology & Ecology (IABE), Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - S-Q Xu
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology & Ecology (IABE), Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk (NESER), Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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75
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Thorat L, Oulkar DP, Banerjee K, Nath BB. Desiccation stress induces developmental heterochrony in Drosophila melanogaster. J Biosci 2016; 41:331-9. [PMID: 27581925 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-016-9628-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Stressful environments are known to perturb developmental patterns in insects. In the purview of desiccation as a stressor, relatively little is known about the developmental consequences linked with desiccation tolerance. In this study, we have particularly focused on the exploration of the temporal profile of postembryonic development in response to desiccation exposure in Drosophila melanogaster and the associated trade-offs. We document a correlation between variations in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels and the altered timing of metamorphic events during the life cycle. Following desiccation, we observed an extension in the larval longevity whereas the duration of the pupal and adult stages was significantly shortened. Alternately, feeding of 20-hydroxyecdysone apparently led to the restoration of the normal temporal pattern of development in the desiccated group. In spite of the desiccation-responsive heterochronic shifts in development, the overall lifespan post recovery remained almost unaltered among the desiccated and undesiccated groups suggesting plasticity in developmental control. This observation reminisces 'canalization-like' phenomenon that buffers alterations in the overall lifespan. We thus identified a desiccationresponsive period in the lifespan of D. melanogaster during which variations in ecdysone levels are capable to alter the temporal course of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Thorat
- Stress Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, India
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76
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Wilson C, Leiblich A, Goberdhan DCI, Hamdy F. The Drosophila Accessory Gland as a Model for Prostate Cancer and Other Pathologies. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 121:339-375. [PMID: 28057306 PMCID: PMC5224695 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The human prostate is a gland of the male reproductive tract, which together with the seminal vesicles, is responsible for most seminal fluid production. It is a common site of cancer, and unlike other glands, it typically enlarges in aging men. In flies, the male accessory glands make many major seminal fluid components. Like their human equivalents, they secrete proteins from several conserved families, including proteases, lectins, and cysteine-rich secretory proteins, some of which interact with sperm and affect fertility. A key protein, sex peptide, is not conserved in vertebrates but plays a central role in mediating long-term effects on females after mating. Although postmitotic, one epithelial cell type in the accessory glands, the secondary cell, continues to grow in adults. It secretes microvesicles called exosomes from the endosomal multivesicular body, which, after mating, fuse with sperm. They also appear to affect female postmating behavior. Remarkably, the human prostate epithelium also secretes exosomes, which fuse to sperm in vitro to modulate their activity. Exosomes from prostate and other cancer cells are increasingly proposed to play fundamental roles in modulating the tumor microenvironment and in metastasis. Here we review a diverse accessory gland literature, which highlights functional analogies between the male reproductive glands of flies and humans, and a critical role for extracellular vesicles in allowing seminal fluid to promote male interests within the female. We postulate that secondary cells and prostate epithelial cells use common mechanisms to control growth, secretion, and signaling, which are relevant to prostate and other cancers, and can be genetically dissected in the uniquely tractable fly model.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wilson
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - A Leiblich
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - F Hamdy
- University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
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77
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Xie X, Liu Z, Liu M, Tao T, Shen X, Zhu D. Role of Halloween genes in ecdysteroids biosynthesis of the swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus): Implications from RNA interference and eyestalk ablation. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 199:105-110. [PMID: 27267122 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Molting, including metamorphosis molting in arthropods are controlled by the ecdysteroids that are synthesized and secreted by the crustacean Y-organ (YO) or the insect prothoracic gland (PG). The Halloween genes encoding the enzymes mainly involved in the biosynthesis of ecdysteroids are well studied in insects but not in crustaceans. Given the importance of Halloween genes in ecdysteroids biosynthesis, we have previously reported the cDNA cloning of disembodied (Dib) in P. trituberculatus. Here, cDNA sequences of another two Halloween genes, Spook (Spo) and Shadow (Sad), were further identified and characterized. The predicted amino acid sequences for these two Halloween genes of Portunus trituberculatus were compared to those of several other arthropods, and several typical domains of the cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase (CYP) were identified. Similar to the tissue distribution of Dib, the Spo and Sad also showed high specificity to the YO. RNA interference (RNAi) of these 3 genes indicated they all play essential role in ecdysteroids biosynthesis. To investigate the relationships of the Halloween genes to the eyestalk neuropeptides such as molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH), effects of eyestalk ablation (ESA) on the expression of Dib, Spo and Sad were detected. Expression of Dib and Sad, but not Spo, was significantly induced by ESA. The result indicated that the inhibition of MIH in ecdysteroids biosynthesis may be partly through the transcriptional regulation of certain Halloween genes, such as Dib and Sad, while the Spo might not be the target for MIH signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Xie
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, 315211 Ningbo, China
| | - Zhiye Liu
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, 315211 Ningbo, China
| | - Mingxin Liu
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, 315211 Ningbo, China
| | - Tian Tao
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, 315211 Ningbo, China
| | - Xiquan Shen
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, 315211 Ningbo, China
| | - Dongfa Zhu
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, 315211 Ningbo, China.
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78
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Acute fluoxetine exposure alters crab anxiety-like behaviour, but not aggressiveness. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19850. [PMID: 26806870 PMCID: PMC4726416 DOI: 10.1038/srep19850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression and responsiveness to noxious stimuli are adaptable traits that are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom. Like vertebrate animals, some invertebrates have been shown to exhibit anxiety-like behaviour and altered levels of aggression that are modulated by the neurotransmitter serotonin. To investigate whether this influence of serotonin is conserved in crabs and whether these behaviours are sensitive to human antidepressant drugs; the striped shore crab, Pachygrapsus crassipes, was studied using anxiety (light/dark test) and aggression (mirror test) paradigms. Crabs were individually exposed to acute doses of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine (5 or 25 mg/L), commonly known as Prozac®, followed by behavioural testing. The high dose of fluoxetine significantly decreased anxiety-like behaviour but had no impact on mobility or aggression. These results suggest that anxiety-like behaviour is more sensitive to modulation of serotonin than is aggressiveness in the shore crab.
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79
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Romani P, Gargiulo G, Cavaliere V. The ecdysone receptor signalling regulates microvilli formation in follicular epithelial cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:409-25. [PMID: 26223269 PMCID: PMC11108565 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1999-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial morphogenesis contributes greatly to the development and homeostasis of the organs and body parts. Here, we analysed the consequences of impaired ecdysone receptor (EcR) signalling in the Drosophila follicular epithelium. Besides governing cell growth, the three EcR isoforms act redundantly in controlling follicle cell positioning. Flattening of the microvilli and an aberrant actin cytoskeleton arise from defective EcR signalling in follicle cells, and these defects impact on the organisation of the oocyte membrane. We found that this signalling governs a complex molecular network since its impairment affects key molecules as atypical protein kinase C and activated Moesin. Interestingly, the activity of the transcription factor Tramtrack69 isoform is required for microvilli and their actin core morphogenesis as well as for follicle cell positioning. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence of novel roles for EcR signalling and Tramtrack69 transcription factor in controlling stage-specific differentiation events that take place in the follicular epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Romani
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, FaBiT, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi, 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Gargiulo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, FaBiT, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi, 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valeria Cavaliere
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, FaBiT, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi, 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
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80
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Metabolomic and Gene Expression Profiles Exhibit Modular Genetic and Dietary Structure Linking Metabolic Syndrome Phenotypes in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2015; 5:2817-29. [PMID: 26530416 PMCID: PMC4683653 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.023564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Genetic and environmental factors influence complex disease in humans, such as metabolic syndrome, and Drosophila melanogaster serves as an excellent model in which to test these factors experimentally. Here we explore the modularity of endophenotypes with an in-depth reanalysis of a previous study by Reed et al. (2014), where we raised 20 wild-type genetic lines of Drosophila larvae on four diets and measured gross phenotypes of body weight, total sugar, and total triglycerides, as well as the endophenotypes of metabolomic and whole-genome expression profiles. We then perform new gene expression experiments to test for conservation of phenotype-expression correlations across different diets and populations. We find that transcript levels correlated with gross phenotypes were enriched for puparial adhesion, metamorphosis, and central energy metabolism functions. The specific metabolites L-DOPA and N-arachidonoyl dopamine make physiological links between the gross phenotypes across diets, whereas leucine and isoleucine thus exhibit genotype-by-diet interactions. Between diets, we find low conservation of the endophenotypes that correlate with the gross phenotypes. Through the follow-up expression study, we found that transcript-trait correlations are well conserved across populations raised on a familiar diet, but on a novel diet, the transcript-trait correlations are no longer conserved. Thus, physiological canalization of metabolic phenotypes breaks down in a novel environment exposing cryptic variation. We cannot predict the physiological basis of disease in a perturbing environment from profiles observed in the ancestral environment. This study demonstrates that variation for disease traits within a population is acquired through a multitude of physiological mechanisms, some of which transcend genetic and environmental influences, and others that are specific to an individual’s genetic and environmental context.
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81
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Uryu O, Ameku T, Niwa R. Recent progress in understanding the role of ecdysteroids in adult insects: Germline development and circadian clock in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2015; 1:32. [PMID: 26605077 PMCID: PMC4657291 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-015-0031-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones are one of the major bioactive molecules responsible for the coordinated regulation of biological processes in multicellular organisms. In insects, the principal steroid hormones are ecdysteroids, including 20-hydroxyecdysone. A great deal of research has investigated the roles played by ecdysteroids during insect development, especially the regulatory role in inducing molting and metamorphosis. However, little attention has been paid to the roles of these hormones in post-developmental processes, despite their undisputed presence in the adult insect body. Recently, molecular genetics of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has revealed that ecdysteroid biosynthesis and signaling are indeed active in adult insects, and involved in diverse processes, including oogenesis, stress resistance, longevity, and neuronal activity. In this review, we focus on very recent progress in the understanding of two adult biological events that require ecdysteroid biosynthesis and/or signaling in Drosophila at the molecular level: germline development and the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outa Uryu
- />Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572 Japan
| | - Tomotsune Ameku
- />Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572 Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- />Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572 Japan
- />Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572 Japan
- />PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 Japan
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82
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Planelló R, Herrero Ó, Gómez-Sande P, Ozáez I, Cobo F, Servia MJ. Ecdysone-Related Biomarkers of Toxicity in the Model Organism Chironomus riparius: Stage and Sex-Dependent Variations in Gene Expression Profiles. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140239. [PMID: 26448051 PMCID: PMC4598127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being considered a model organism in toxicity studies, particularly in assessing the environmental impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other chemicals, the molecular basis of development is largely unknown in Chironomus riparius. We have characterized the expression patterns of important genes involved in the ecdysone pathway from embryos to pupa, but specially during the different phases of C. riparius fourth larval instar, according to the development of genital and thoracic imaginal discs. Real-Time PCR was used to analyze: EcR and usp, two genes encoding the two dimerizing partners of the functional ecdysone receptor; E74, an early response gene induced by ecdysteroids; vg (vitellogenin), an effector gene; hsp70 and hsc70, two heat-shock genes involved in the correct folding of the ecdysone receptor; and rpL13, as a part of the ribosomal machinery. Our results show for the first time stage and sex-dependent variations in ecdysone-responsive genes, specially during the late larval stage of C. riparius. The induction in the expression of EcR and usp during the VII-VIII phase of the fourth instar is concomitant with a coordinated response in the activity of the other genes analyzed, suggesting the moment where larvae prepare for pupation. This work is particularly relevant given that most of the analyzed genes have been proposed previously in this species as sensitive biomarkers for the toxicological evaluation of aquatic ecosystems. Identifying the natural regulation of these molecular endpoints throughout the Chironomus development will contribute to a more in-depth and accurate evaluation of the disrupting effects of EDCs in ecotoxicological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Planelló
- Grupo de Biología y Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED, Paseo de la Senda del Rey 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Óscar Herrero
- Grupo de Biología y Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED, Paseo de la Senda del Rey 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Gómez-Sande
- Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Campus Sur s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Estación de Hidrobioloxía “Encoro do Con”, EHEC, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Castroagudín s/n, 36617 Vilagarcía de Arousa, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Irene Ozáez
- Grupo de Biología y Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED, Paseo de la Senda del Rey 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Cobo
- Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Campus Sur s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Estación de Hidrobioloxía “Encoro do Con”, EHEC, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Castroagudín s/n, 36617 Vilagarcía de Arousa, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - María J. Servia
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, UDC, Campus da Zapateira s/n, 15008 A Coruña, Spain
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83
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Lavrynenko O, Rodenfels J, Carvalho M, Dye NA, Lafont R, Eaton S, Shevchenko A. The ecdysteroidome of Drosophila: influence of diet and development. Development 2015; 142:3758-68. [PMID: 26395481 DOI: 10.1242/dev.124982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Ecdysteroids are the hormones regulating development, physiology and fertility in arthropods, which synthesize them exclusively from dietary sterols. But how dietary sterol diversity influences the ecdysteroid profile, how animals ensure the production of desired hormones and whether there are functional differences between different ecdysteroids produced in vivo remains unknown. This is because currently there is no analytical technology for unbiased, comprehensive and quantitative assessment of the full complement of endogenous ecdysteroids. We developed a new LC-MS/MS method to screen the entire chemical space of ecdysteroid-related structures and to quantify known and newly discovered hormones and their catabolites. We quantified the ecdysteroidome in Drosophila melanogaster and investigated how the ecdysteroid profile varies with diet and development. We show that Drosophila can produce four different classes of ecdysteroids, which are obligatorily derived from four types of dietary sterol precursors. Drosophila makes makisterone A from plant sterols and epi-makisterone A from ergosterol, the major yeast sterol. However, they prefer to selectively utilize scarce ergosterol precursors to make a novel hormone 24,28-dehydromakisterone A and trace cholesterol to synthesize 20-hydroxyecdysone. Interestingly, epi-makisterone A supports only larval development, whereas all other ecdysteroids allow full adult development. We suggest that evolutionary pressure against producing epi-C-24 ecdysteroids might explain selective utilization of ergosterol precursors and the puzzling preference for cholesterol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Lavrynenko
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Jonathan Rodenfels
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Maria Carvalho
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Natalie A Dye
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Rene Lafont
- Sorbonne Universités, University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris 06, IBPS-BIOSIPE, 7 Quai Saint Bernard, Case Courrier 29, Paris Cedex 05 75252, France
| | - Suzanne Eaton
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Andrej Shevchenko
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstraße 108, Dresden 01307, Germany
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84
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Hult EF, Huang J, Marchal E, Lam J, Tobe SS. RXR/USP and EcR are critical for the regulation of reproduction and the control of JH biosynthesis in Diploptera punctata. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 80:48-60. [PMID: 25917982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
During development and reproduction the response to ecdysteroids is mediated by a heterodimeric receptor complex comprising the retinoid X receptor/ultraspiracle (RXR/USP) and the ecdysone receptor (EcR). Here, the role of these receptors in the endocrine control of reproduction is examined in the cockroach Diploptera punctata. We report the sequence of four DpRXR and three DpEcR splice variants, including the first description of a Drosophila EcRB2-like isoform in a hemimetabolous insect. DpRXR and DpEcR are broadly expressed in the tissues of adult females, with relatively high transcript levels in the corpora allata (CA), nervous tissue and ovary. Developmental profiling revealed an inverse correlation between DpRXR and DpEcR expression and the activity of the CA. RNAi-mediated depletion of DpRXR and DpEcR did not affect oocyte growth, but inhibited oviposition and impaired chorion formation. Retained oocytes exhibited a degenerating follicular epithelium and were slowly resorbed. Treated animals showed significantly higher rates of JH biosynthesis and a decrease in ecdysteroid titers at the end of vitellogenesis. Reduction of DpRXR and DpEcR expression resulted in an upregulation of genes involved in JH production and a downregulation of allatostatin receptor mRNA in the CA. Treatment with dsRNA also affected the expression of genes downstream of JH in target tissues including vitellogenin and Krüppel-homolog 1 as well as Broad-Complex, an early ecdysone response gene. Overall, results suggest that DpRXR and DpEcR are not required early in the reproductive cycle when events are JH-dependent, but do mediate critical ecdysteroid feedback to the CA late in the gonadotropic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina F Hult
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Juan Huang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Marchal
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Biology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jennifer Lam
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephen S Tobe
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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85
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Das S. Morphological, Molecular, and Hormonal Basis of Limb Regeneration across Pancrustacea: Table 1. Integr Comp Biol 2015; 55:869-77. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icv101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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86
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Gong J, Ye H, Xie Y, Yang Y, Huang H, Li S, Zeng C. Ecdysone receptor in the mud crab Scylla paramamosain: a possible role in promoting ovarian development. J Endocrinol 2015; 224:273-87. [PMID: 25563354 DOI: 10.1530/joe-14-0526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In arthropods, it is known that ecdysteroids regulate molting, limb regeneration, and reproduction through activation of the ecdysone receptor (EcR). However, the ecdysteroid signaling pathway for promotion of ovarian development in crustaceans is still unclear. In this study, three cDNA isoforms of EcR were cloned from the mud crab Scylla paramamosain. qRT-PCR revealed that the SpEcR mRNA was abundant in the eyestalk, ovary and epidermis. During ovarian development, the SpEcR transcripts increased from stage I (undeveloped stage) and reached a peak at stage IV (late vitellogenic stage) before dropping to a lower level at stage V (mature stage). Meanwhile, levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in the hemolymph, detected by HPLC-MS, displayed a similar pattern of increase with ovarian development. Results from in situ hybridization indicated that SpEcR mRNA was present in the follicular cells during vitellogenesis. Results from in vivo experiments revealed that 20E at 0.2 μg/g body weight significantly stimulated the expression of SpEcR and vitellogenin (SpVg) in female crabs during the early vitellogenic stage but not during the previtellogenic stage. This was confirmed by results from in vitro experiments which indicated that SpEcR and SpVg expression levels were significantly upregulated in early vitellogenic ovarian explants incubated with 5.0 μM 20E at 3 and 6 h but not in previtellogenic ovarian explants. Finally, results from in vitro gene silencing experiments indicated that the expression of SpEcR and SpVg in the ovary was significantly inhibited by SpEcR dsRNA. All these results together indicated that in S. paramamosain, 20E, and SpEcR, located in the follicular cells, play important roles in the promotion of ovarian development via regulating the expression of SpVg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Gong
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Haihui Ye
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Yinjie Xie
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Yanan Yang
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Huiyang Huang
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Shaojing Li
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Chaoshu Zeng
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia College of Ocean and Earth SciencesXiamen University, Xiamen 361102, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Development and Utilization of Marine Biological ResourcesXiamen 361102, ChinaCollege of Marine and Environmental SciencesJames Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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87
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König A, Shcherbata HR. Soma influences GSC progeny differentiation via the cell adhesion-mediated steroid-let-7-Wingless signaling cascade that regulates chromatin dynamics. Biol Open 2015; 4:285-300. [PMID: 25661868 PMCID: PMC4359735 DOI: 10.1242/bio.201410553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that signaling from the germline stem cell niche is required to maintain germline stem cell identity in Drosophila. However, it is not clear whether the germline stem-cell daughters differentiate by default (because they are physically distant from the niche) or whether additional signaling is necessary to initiate the differentiation program. Previously, we showed that ecdysteroid signaling cell non-autonomously regulates early germline differentiation via its soma-specific co-activator and co-repressor, Taiman and Abrupt. Now, we demonstrate that this regulation is modulated by the miRNA let-7, which acts in a positive feedback loop to confer ecdysone signaling robustness via targeting its repressor, the transcription factor Abrupt. This feedback loop adjusts ecdysteroid signaling in response to some stressful alterations in the external and internal conditions, which include temperature stress and aging, but not nutritional deprivation. Upon let-7 deficit, escort cells fail to properly differentiate: their shape, division, and cell adhesive characteristics are perturbed. These cells have confused cellular identity and form columnar-like rather than squamous epithelium and fail to send protrusions in between differentiating germline cysts, affecting soma-germline communication. Particularly, levels of the homophilic cell adhesion protein Cadherin, which recruits Wg signaling transducer β-catenin, are increased in mutant escort cells and, correspondingly, in the adjacent germline cells. Readjustment of heterotypic (soma-germline) cell adhesion modulates Wg signaling intensity in the germline, which in turn regulates histone modifications that promote expression of the genes necessary to trigger early germline differentiation. Thus, our data first show the intrinsic role for Wg signaling in the germline and support a model where the soma influences the tempo of germline differentiation in response to external conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annekatrin König
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Halyna R Shcherbata
- Max Planck Research Group of Gene Expression and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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88
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Qian W, Kang L, Zhang T, Meng M, Wang Y, Li Z, Xia Q, Cheng D. Ecdysone receptor (EcR) is involved in the transcription of cell cycle genes in the silkworm. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:3335-49. [PMID: 25654229 PMCID: PMC4346899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16023335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
EcR (ecdysone receptor)-mediated ecdysone signaling pathway contributes to regulate the transcription of genes involved in various processes during insect development. In this work, we detected the expression of EcR gene in silkworm ovary-derived BmN4 cells and found that EcR RNAi result in an alteration of cell shape, indicating that EcR may orchestrate cell cycle progression. EcR RNAi and EcR overexpression analysis revealed that in the cultured BmN4 cells, EcR respectively promoted and suppressed the transcription of E2F-1 and CycE, two genes controlling cell cycle progression. Further examination demonstrated that ecdysone application in BmN4 cells not only changed the transcription of these two cell cycle genes like that under EcR overexpression, but also induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. In vivo analysis confirmed that E2F-1 expression was elevated in silk gland of silkworm larvae after ecdysone application, which is same as its response to ecdysone in BmN4 cells. However, ecdysone also promotes CycE transcription in silk gland, and this is converse with the observation in BmN4 cells. These results provide new insights into understanding the roles of EcR-mediated ecdysone signaling in the regulation of cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenliang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Lixia Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Tianlei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Meng Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Yonghu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Zhiqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Daojun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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89
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Shyamal S, Anilkumar G, Bhaskaran R, Doss GP, Durica DS. Significant fluctuations in ecdysteroid receptor gene (EcR) expression in relation to seasons of molt and reproduction in the grapsid crab, Metopograpsus messor (Brachyura: Decapoda). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 211:39-51. [PMID: 25448252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Metopograpsus messor, a brachyuran crab inhabiting the estuaries of North Kerala (India), is a prolific breeder releasing approximately 14-16 broods a year. The present paper reports the sequence information on the DNA binding domain (C domain, DBD), linker (D domain) and ligand binding domain (E domain, LBD) of M. messor ecdysteroid receptor (MmEcR) gene, the first grapsid brachyuran crab EcR examined. We have also measured MmEcR transcript levels in the ovary and the hepatopancreas throughout the annual cycle, with special reference to seasons of molt and reproduction. MmEcR expression in both the tissues is found to be at its peak (P<0.05) in late premolt crabs (January/May, molt/reproduction season); the expression levels are lowest (P<0.05) during June/July, when the females would neither molt nor reproduce (season for molt/reproduction repose). Intermediate levels of expression were found during the breeding season (August/December). Interestingly, this pattern of gene expression is in concordance with the fluctuating ecdysteroid levels of the hemolymph and Y organ secretory activity. The significant levels of fluctuation in the ovarian expression of MmEcR strongly suggest the ovary as a potential target for ecdysteroid action. A season-wise comparison of the gene expression reveals that ovarian MmEcR transcript levels are higher in breeding crabs (August/December) than the non-breeding animals (June/July), implicating a possible ecdysteroid role in reproduction in M. messor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmishtha Shyamal
- School of Biosciences & Technology, VIT University, Vellore, 632014 Tamil Nadu, India
| | - G Anilkumar
- School of Biosciences & Technology, VIT University, Vellore, 632014 Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - R Bhaskaran
- School of Biosciences & Technology, VIT University, Vellore, 632014 Tamil Nadu, India
| | - G P Doss
- School of Biosciences & Technology, VIT University, Vellore, 632014 Tamil Nadu, India
| | - D S Durica
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, USA
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90
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Integrative Genomic Approaches to Studying Epigenetic Mechanisms of Phenotypic Plasticity in the Aphid. SHORT VIEWS ON INSECT GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24235-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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91
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Kumar S, Chen D, Jang C, Nall A, Zheng X, Sehgal A. An ecdysone-responsive nuclear receptor regulates circadian rhythms in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5697. [PMID: 25511299 PMCID: PMC4269253 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about molecular links between circadian clocks and steroid hormone signaling although both are important for normal physiology. Here we report a circadian function for a nuclear receptor, Ecdysone Induced Protein 75 (Eip75/E75), which we identify through a gain-of-function screen for circadian genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Overexpression or knockdown of E75 in clock neurons disrupts rest:activity rhythms and dampens molecular oscillations. E75 represses expression of the gene encoding the transcriptional activator, CLOCK (CLK), and may also affect circadian output. PER inhibits the activity of E75 on the Clk promoter, thereby providing a mechanism for a previously proposed de-repressor effect of PER on Clk transcription. The ecdysone receptor is also expressed in central clock cells and manipulations of its expression produce effects similar to those of E75 on circadian rhythms. We find that E75 protects rhythms under stressful conditions, suggesting a function for steroid signaling in the maintenance of circadian rhythms in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailesh Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Dechun Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Jang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Alexandra Nall
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Xiangzhong Zheng
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Amita Sehgal
- 1] Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA [2] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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92
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Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis in Insects: What Is New, What Do We Know, and What Questions Remain? INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARLY RESEARCH NOTICES 2014; 2014:967361. [PMID: 27382622 PMCID: PMC4897325 DOI: 10.1155/2014/967361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of JH biosynthesis has significantly changed in the last years. In this review I would like to discuss the following topics: (1) the progresses in understanding the JH biosynthesis pathway. Access to genome sequences has facilitated the identification of all the genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes and the completion of comprehensive transcriptional studies, as well as the expression and characterization of recombinant enzymes. Now the existence of different flux directionalites, feed-back loops and pathway branching points in the JH biosynthesis pathways can be explored; (2) the new concepts in the modulation of JH synthesis by allatoregulators. The list of putative JH modulators is increasing. I will discuss their possible role during the different physiological states of the CA; (3) the new theoretical and physiological frameworks for JH synthesis analysis. I will discuss the bases of the flux model for JH biosynthesis. JH plays multiple roles in the control of ovary development in female mosquitoes; therefore, the CA presents different physiological states, where JH synthesis is altered by gating the flux at distinctive points in the pathway; (4) in the final section I will identify new challenges and future directions on JH synthesis research.
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93
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Upton LM, Povelones M, Christophides GK. Anopheles gambiae blood feeding initiates an anticipatory defense response to Plasmodium berghei. J Innate Immun 2014; 7:74-86. [PMID: 25247883 DOI: 10.1159/000365331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes have potent innate defense mechanisms that protect them from infection by diverse pathogens. Much remains unknown about how different pathogens are sensed and specific responses triggered. Leucine-Rich repeat IMmune proteins (LRIMs) are a mosquito-specific family of putative innate receptors. Although some LRIMs have been implicated in mosquito immune responses, the function of most family members is largely unknown. We screened Anopheles gambiae LRIMs by RNAi for effects on mosquito infection by rodent malaria and found that LRIM9 is a Plasmodium berghei antagonist with phenotypes distinct from family members LRIM1 and APL1C, which are key components of the mosquito complement-like pathway. LRIM9 transcript and protein levels are significantly increased after blood feeding but are unaffected by Plasmodium or midgut microbiota. Interestingly, LRIM9 in the hemolymph is strongly upregulated by direct injection of the ecdysteroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone. Our data suggest that LRIM9 may define a novel anti-Plasmodium immune defense mechanism triggered by blood feeding and that hormonal changes may alert the mosquito to bolster its defenses in anticipation of exposure to blood-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanna M Upton
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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94
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Ecdysone signaling opposes epidermal growth factor signaling in regulating cyst differentiation in the male gonad of Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Biol 2014; 394:217-27. [PMID: 25169192 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The development of stem cell daughters into the differentiated state normally requires a cascade of proliferation and differentiation steps that are typically regulated by external signals. The germline cells of most animals, in specific, are associated with somatic support cells and depend on them for normal development. In the male gonad of Drosophila melanogaster, germline cells are completely enclosed by cytoplasmic extensions of somatic cyst cells, and these cysts form a functional unit. Signaling from the germline to the cyst cells via the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is required for germline enclosure and has been proposed to provide a temporal signature promoting early steps of differentiation. A temperature-sensitive allele of the EGFR ligand Spitz (Spi) provides a powerful tool for probing the function of the EGRF pathway in this context and for identifying other pathways regulating cyst differentiation via genetic interaction studies. Using this tool, we show that signaling via the Ecdysone Receptor (EcR), a known regulator of developmental timing during larval and pupal development, opposes EGF signaling in testes. In spi mutant animals, reducing either Ecdysone synthesis or the expression of Ecdysone signal transducers or targets in the cyst cells resulted in a rescue of cyst formation and cyst differentiation. Despite of this striking effect in the spi mutant background and the expression of EcR signaling components within the cyst cells, activity of the EcR pathway appears to be dispensable in a wildtype background. We propose that EcR signaling modulates the effects of EGFR signaling by promoting an undifferentiated state in early stage cyst cells.
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95
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Steroid signaling promotes stem cell maintenance in the Drosophila testis. Dev Biol 2014; 394:129-41. [PMID: 25093968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell regulation by local signals is intensely studied, but less is known about the effects of hormonal signals on stem cells. In Drosophila, the primary steroid twenty-hydroxyecdysone (20E) regulates ovarian germline stem cells (GSCs) but was considered dispensable for testis GSC maintenance. Male GSCs reside in a microenvironment (niche) generated by somatic hub cells and adjacent cyst stem cells (CySCs). Here, we show that depletion of 20E from adult males by overexpressing a dominant negative form of the Ecdysone receptor (EcR) or its heterodimeric partner ultraspiracle (usp) causes GSC and CySC loss that is rescued by 20E feeding, uncovering a requirement for 20E in stem cell maintenance. EcR and USP are expressed, activated and autonomously required in the CySC lineage to promote CySC maintenance, as are downstream genes ftz-f1 and E75. In contrast, GSCs non-autonomously require ecdysone signaling. Global inactivation of EcR increases cell death in the testis that is rescued by expression of EcR-B2 in the CySC lineage, indicating that ecdysone signaling supports stem cell viability primarily through a specific receptor isoform. Finally, EcR genetically interacts with the NURF chromatin-remodeling complex, which we previously showed maintains CySCs. Thus, although 20E levels are lower in males than females, ecdysone signaling acts through distinct cell types and effectors to ensure both ovarian and testis stem cell maintenance.
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96
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Oostra V, Mateus ARA, van der Burg KRL, Piessens T, van Eijk M, Brakefield PM, Beldade P, Zwaan BJ. Ecdysteroid hormones link the juvenile environment to alternative adult life histories in a seasonal insect. Am Nat 2014; 184:E79-92. [PMID: 25141151 DOI: 10.1086/677260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The conditional expression of alternative life strategies is a widespread feature of animal life and a pivotal adaptation to life in seasonal environments. To optimally match suites of traits to seasonally changing ecological opportunities, animals living in seasonal environments need mechanisms linking information on environmental quality to resource allocation decisions. The butterfly Bicyclus anynana expresses alternative adult life histories in the alternating wet and dry seasons of its habitat as endpoints of divergent developmental pathways triggered by seasonal variation in preadult temperature. Pupal ecdysteroid hormone titers are correlated with the seasonal environment, but whether they play a functional role in coordinating the coupling of adult traits in the alternative life histories is unknown. Here, we show that manipulating pupal ecdysteroid levels is sufficient to mimic in direction and magnitude the shifts in adult reproductive resource allocation normally induced by seasonal temperature. Crucially, this allocation shift is accompanied by changes in ecologically relevant traits, including timing of reproduction, life span, and starvation resistance. Together, our results support a functional role for ecdysteroids during development in mediating strategic reproductive investment decisions in response to predictive indicators of environmental quality. This study provides a physiological mechanism for adaptive developmental plasticity, allowing organisms to cope with variable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicencio Oostra
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P. O. Box 9505, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
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97
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Johnson EC, Braco JT, Whitmill MA. Connecting nutrient sensing and the endocrine control of metabolic allocation in insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 1:66-72. [PMID: 32846732 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
It is clear that specific hormones control an organism's energy use and regulate the differential allocations of energy to activity, growth and maintenance of specific tissues, and reproduction. Appropriate metabolic allocations require an assessment of the nutrient state of the animal, and nutrient sensing must be tied to appropriate signals in order to coordinate the repertoire of behaviors and physiologies accompanying a particular metabolic investment. Here, we review the known and speculated connections between nutrient sensing and the endocrine control of energy allocation in insects. Insects, being speciose and diverse in life history strategies, offer a unique perspective into the general architecture of the signaling mechanisms of energetic allocation and also into unique elements that correlate with specific life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik C Johnson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA.
| | - Jason T Braco
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Matthew A Whitmill
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA
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98
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Chen M, Penning TM. 5β-Reduced steroids and human Δ(4)-3-ketosteroid 5β-reductase (AKR1D1). Steroids 2014; 83:17-26. [PMID: 24513054 PMCID: PMC3971473 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 01/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
5β-Reduced steroids are non-planar steroids that have a 90° bend in their structure to create an A/B cis-ring junction. This novel property is required for bile-acids to act as emulsifiers, but in addition 5β-reduced steroids have remarkable physiology and may act as potent tocolytic agents, endogenous cardiac glycosides, neurosteroids, and can act as ligands for orphan and membrane bound receptors. In humans there is only a single 5β-reductase gene AKR1D1, which encodes Δ(4)-3-ketosteroid-5β-reductase (AKR1D1). This enzyme is a member of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily, but possesses an altered catalytic tetrad, in which Glu120 replaces the conserved His residue. This predominant liver enzyme generates all 5β-dihydrosteroids in the C19-C27 steroid series. Mutations exist in the AKR1D1 gene, which result in loss of protein stability and are causative in bile-acid deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, United States
| | - Trevor M Penning
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, United States.
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99
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Vafopoulou X, Steel CGH. Synergistic induction of the clock protein PERIOD by insulin-like peptide and prothoracicotropic hormone in Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera): implications for convergence of hormone signaling pathways. Front Physiol 2014; 5:41. [PMID: 24600396 PMCID: PMC3928625 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
We showed previously that release of the cerebral neurohormones, bombyxin (an insulin-like peptide, ILP) and prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) from the brain have strong circadian rhythms, driven by master clock cells in the brain. These neurohormone rhythms synchronize the photosensitive brain clock with the photosensitive peripheral clock in the cells of the prothoracic glands (PGs), in which both regulate steroidogenesis. Here, using immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we show these neurohormones likely act on clock cells in the brain and PGs by regulating expression of PERIOD (PER) protein. PER is severely reduced in the nuclei of all clock cells in continuous light, but on transfer of tissues to darkness in vitro, it is rapidly induced. A 4h pulse of either PTTH or ILPs to brain and PGs in vitro both rapidly and highly significantly induce PER in the nuclei of clock cells. Administration of both neurohormones together induces more PER than does either alone and even more than does transfer to darkness, at least in PG cells. These are clearly non-steroidogenic actions of these peptides. In the peripheral oscillators salivary gland (SG) and fat body cells, neither bombyxin nor PTTH nor darkness induced PER, but a combination of both bombyxin and PTTH induced PER. Thus, PTTH and ILPs exert synergistic actions on induction of PER in both clock cells and peripheral oscillators, implying their signaling pathways converge, but in different ways in different cell types. We infer clock cells are able to integrate light cycle information with internal signals from hormones.
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100
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Domanitskaya E, Anllo L, Schüpbach T. Phantom, a cytochrome P450 enzyme essential for ecdysone biosynthesis, plays a critical role in the control of border cell migration in Drosophila. Dev Biol 2013; 386:408-18. [PMID: 24373956 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The border cells of Drosophila are a model system for coordinated cell migration. Ecdysone signaling has been shown to act as the timing signal to initiate the migration process. Here we find that mutations in phantom (phm), encoding an enzyme in the ecdysone biosynthesis pathway, block border cell migration when the entire follicular epithelium of an egg chamber is mutant, even when the associated germline cells (nurse cells and oocyte) are wild-type. Conversely, mutant germline cells survive and do not affect border cell migration, as long as the surrounding follicle cells are wild-type. Interestingly, even small patches of wild-type follicle cells in a mosaic epithelium are sufficient to allow the production of above-threshold levels of ecdysone to promote border cell migration. The same phenotype is observed with mutations in shade (shd), encoding the last enzyme in the pathway that converts ecdysone to the active 20-hydroxyecdysone. Administration of high 20-hydroxyecdysone titers in the medium can also rescue the border cell migration phenotype in cultured egg chambers with an entirely phm mutant follicular epithelium. These results indicate that in normal oogenesis, the follicle cell epithelium of each individual egg chamber must supply sufficient ecdysone precursors, leading ultimately to high enough levels of mature 20-hydroxyecdysone to the border cells to initiate their migration. Neither the germline, nor the neighboring egg chambers, nor the surrounding hemolymph appear to provide threshold amounts of 20-hydroxyecdysone to do so. This "egg chamber autonomous" ecdysone synthesis constitutes a useful way to regulate the individual maturation of the asynchronous egg chambers present in the Drosophila ovary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Domanitskaya
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
| | - Lauren Anllo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
| | - Trudi Schüpbach
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States.
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