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Lee SH, Kim MA, Sohn YC. Allatotropin (AT) related peptides L-ATRP and D2-ATRP diastereomers activate an endogenous receptor and suppress heart rate in the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Peptides 2024; 181:171284. [PMID: 39147283 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) has been identified in many insects and plays important roles in the regulation of their intestinal contraction, heart rate, ion transport, and digestive enzyme secretion. However, information on AT-related bioinformatics in other animal phyla is scarce. In this study, we cloned a full-length cDNA encoding the AT-related peptide receptor (ATRPR) of the abalone Haliotis discus hannai (Hdh) and further characterized Hdh-ATRPR with its potential ligands, Hdh-ATRPs. In luciferase reporter and Ca2+ mobilization assays, Hdh-ATRPs, including a D-type Phe at the second amino acid position, Hdh-D2-ATRP, activated Hdh-ATRPR in a dose-dependent manner, whereas all-L-type Hdh-ATRP was a more potent ligand than Hdh-D2-ATRP. Furthermore, Hdh-ATRPs induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation in Hdh-ATRPR-expressing HEK293 cells, which was dose-dependently abolished by the PKC inhibitor Gö6983. The heart rate decreased significantly within 10 min when Hdh-D2-ATRP was injected into the adduct muscle sinus of abalone (0.2 or 1.0 µg/g body weight), while the abalone injected with a high concentration of Hdh-D2-ATRP (1.5 μg/g body weight) were sublethal within 5 h. Thus, Hdh-ATRP signaling is primarily linked to the Gαq/PKC and is possibly associated with heart rate regulation in abalone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Hyuck Lee
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Ae Kim
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea; East Coast Life Sciences Institute, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Chang Sohn
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea; East Coast Life Sciences Institute, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea.
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José Villalobos Sambucaro M, Pacheco C, Rafael Ronderos J. Allatotropic peptides modulate muscle contraction of the female reproductive system in Rhodnius prolixus (STÄL). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 343:114358. [PMID: 37567349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) acts as a myoregulator at the level of the dorsal vessel (DV) and midgut (MG) in triatominae insects. Previous analyses of the expression of the AT receptor in Rhodnius prolixus showed that AT is expressed in the DV and MG, but also in the reproductive system in females. To further study the activity of AT on female reproductive organs we analyzed the response by adult females in different physiological conditions, including unfed (virgin and mated), and fed mated females (gravid), to doses ranging between 10-14 and 10-6M. Myoregulatory activity was evaluated in vivo, by recording independently the frequency of contractions of each organ after treatment. The results show that the effect of AT varies depending on the organs and on the physiological state of the female. Whilst unfed virgin females did not show response to the peptide for neither of the applied doses, the ovaries showed a differential response, presenting the highest frequency of contractions in gravid individuals. An increase in the frequency of contractions of the oviducts was only observed in mated females. Uterus and spermathecae responded in both gravid and mated females, with maximum activity in the latter. In the bursa, responses were only detected in gravid females. The differential response of the organs seems to be associated to particular moments along the reproductive cycle, such as with the spermathecae that reacted to AT in both unfed mated and gravid females, when the movement of spermatozoids is physiologically crucial. Testes and accessory glands of the male, expressed the mRNA of AT precursor, suggesting that the male would modulate the contractile behavior of the female reproductive system after copula. The ovaries also expressed AT mRNA suggesting the existence of a paracrine/autocrine system modulating muscle contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Concejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Cristian Pacheco
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Post-doctoral fellow (FONCyT), Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Hromníková D, Furka D, Furka S, Santana JAD, Ravingerová T, Klöcklerová V, Žitňan D. Prevention of tick-borne diseases: challenge to recent medicine. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022; 77:1533-1554. [PMID: 35283489 PMCID: PMC8905283 DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00966-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Ticks represent important vectors and reservoirs of pathogens, causing a number of diseases in humans and animals, and significant damage to livestock every year. Modern research into protection against ticks and tick-borne diseases focuses mainly on the feeding stage, i.e. the period when ticks take their blood meal from their hosts during which pathogens are transmitted. Physiological functions in ticks, such as food intake, saliva production, reproduction, development, and others are under control of neuropeptides and peptide hormones which may be involved in pathogen transmission that cause Lyme borreliosis or tick-borne encephalitis. According to current knowledge, ticks are not reservoirs or vectors for the spread of COVID-19 disease. The search for new vaccination methods to protect against ticks and their transmissible pathogens is a challenge for current science in view of global changes, including the increasing migration of the human population. Highlights • Tick-borne diseases have an increasing incidence due to climate change and increased human migration • To date, there is no evidence of transmission of coronavirus COVID-19 by tick as a vector • To date, there are only a few modern, effective, and actively- used vaccines against ticks or tick-borne diseases • Neuropeptides and their receptors expressed in ticks may be potentially used for vaccine design
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Hromníková
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Furka
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Samuel Furka
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Julio Ariel Dueñas Santana
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Matanzas, Km 3 Carretera a Varadero, 44740 Matanzas, CU Cuba
| | - Táňa Ravingerová
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vanda Klöcklerová
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Kh SD, Keshan B. Larval feeding status regulates the transcript levels of genes encoding PTTH and allatoregulatory peptides in silkworm Bombyx mori. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:680-691. [PMID: 32401387 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In Bombyx mori, two dorsolateral neurosecretory cells (NSCs) in each of the two brain lobes have been identified as prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) producing cells. This neuropeptide in insects stimulates the prothoracic gland for the synthesis and release of ecdysone, responsible for the molting events. Allatotropin (AT) and allatostatin (AST) are allatoregulatory neuropeptides that regulate juvenile hormone biosynthesis. Here, by using RT-qPCR, we showed that in B. mori, nutritional stress modulates the mRNA expression of AT and AST-C (allatostain type C) in the central nervous system consisting of the brain lobes and all the associated ganglia. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization, we showed that the feeding status of Bombyx larvae also influences the expression of PTTH in the NSCs of the brain. Food deprivation significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of PTTH in larvae at active or terminal growth period. Further, we showed that insulin modulates the expression level of PTTH. However, its action was dependent on the feeding status of the larvae. At feeding, the insulin decreased the PTTH expression level, while at food deprivation, the insulin increased the PTTH expression level. The data thus indicates that larval feeding status plays an important role in altering the mRNA expression levels of allatoregulatory peptide genes and PTTH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanathoibi D Kh
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | - Bela Keshan
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
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Alzugaray ME, Gavazzi MV, Ronderos JR. G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction and Ca 2+ signaling pathways of the allatotropin/orexin system in Hydra. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113637. [PMID: 33017583 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropin is a pleiotropic peptide originally characterized in insects. The existence of AT neuropeptide signaling was proposed in other invertebrates. In fact, we previously proposed the presence of an AT-like system regulating feeding behavior in Hydra sp. Even in insects, the information about the AT signaling pathway is incomplete. The aim of this study is to analyze the signaling cascade activated by AT in Hydra plagiodesmica using a pharmacological approach. The results show the involvement of Ca2+ and IP3 signaling in the transduction pathway of the peptide. Furthermore, we confirm the existence of a GPCR system involved in this pathway, that would be coupled to a Gq subfamily of Gα protein, which activates a PLC, inducing an increase in IP3 and cytosolic Ca2+. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first in vivo approach to study the overall signaling pathway and intracellular events involved in the myoregulatory effect of AT in Hydra sp.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - María Victoria Gavazzi
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), Argentina.
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Abou El Asrar R, Cools D, Vanden Broeck J. Role of peptide hormones in insect gut physiology. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 41:71-78. [PMID: 32814267 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient uptake and digestion are essential for optimal growth and development. In insects, these processes are regulated by the gut-brain axis, which is a neurohumoral communication system for maintaining gut homeostasis. The insect gut is a complex organ consisting of three distinct structures, denominated foregut, midgut and hindgut, each with their specific specializations. These specializations are tightly regulated by the interplay of several neuropeptides: a versatile group of signalling molecules involved in a multitude of processes including gut physiology. Neuropeptides take part in the regulation of gut processes ranging from digestive enzyme release to muscle activity and satiety. Some neuropeptide mimetics are a promising strategy for ecological pest management. This review focuses on a selection of neuropeptides that are well-known for their role in gut physiology, and neuropeptides for which the mode of action is yet to be unravelled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania Abou El Asrar
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology, Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dorien Cools
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology, Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- KU Leuven, Department of Biology, Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Wu K, Wang J, Geng L, Chen K, Huang W, Liu Q, Beerntsen BT, Ling E. Loss of control of the culturable bacteria in the hindgut of Bombyx mori after Cry1Ab ingestion. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 111:103754. [PMID: 32464134 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bt protein, produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, can bind receptors to destroy the physiological functions of the insect midgut. It is unknown whether Bt can also target the hindgut and influence its defense against fecal bacteria. Here we show that Crystal protein 1Ab (Cry1Ab), a Bt protein, was detected in the larval hindgut contents of Bombyx mori after ingestion of this toxin protein. The number of fecal bacteria that can be inhibited by the hindgut prophenoloxidase-induced melanization was significantly enhanced after oral ingestion of Cry1Ab. Although the hindgut contents became brown, the activity of hindgut phenoloxidase was decreased. LC-MS/MS analysis of the hindgut lumen contents revealed that many new proteins including several proteases were newly secreted. The enhanced secretion of proteases cleaved prophenoloxidase to decrease its activity, including the corresponding activity to inhibit the fecal bacteria. In addition, after ingestion of Cry1Ab, the pylorus (between the midgut and hindgut) could not autonomously contract due to the physical detachment of the acellular cuticle-like membrane from the epidermal cells, which prevented the movement of food from the midgut to the hindgut. Some cells in the cryptonephry of the hindgut became swollen and degraded, possibly due to the presence of Cry1Ab in the hindgut. These findings demonstrate that the inhibition of feces bacteria by the hindgut prophenoloxidase-induced melanization is out of control after Cry1Ab ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, China; Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Jing Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, China
| | - Lei Geng
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Kai Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, China
| | - Wuren Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Qiuning Liu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Brenda T Beerntsen
- Veterinary Pathobiology, 213 Connaway Hall, University of Missouri Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Erjun Ling
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
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Bendena WG, Hui JHL, Chin-Sang I, Tobe SS. Neuropeptide and microRNA regulators of juvenile hormone production. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 295:113507. [PMID: 32413346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The sesquiterpenoid juvenile hormone(s) (JHs) of insects are the primary regulators of growth, metamorphosis, and reproduction in most insect species. As a consequence, it is essential that JH production be precisely regulated so that it is present only during appropriate periods necessary for the control of these processes. The presence of JH at inappropriate times results in disruption to metamorphosis and development and, in some cases, to disturbances in female reproduction. Neuropeptides regulate the timing and production of JH by the corpora allata. Allatostatin and allatotropin were the names coined for neuropeptides that serve as inhibitors or stimulators of JH biosynthesis, respectively. Three different allatostatin neuropeptide families are capable of inhibiting juvenile hormone but only one family is utilized for that purpose dependent on the insect studied. The function of allatotropin also varies in different insects. These neuropeptides are pleiotropic in function acting on diverse physiological processes in different insects such as muscle contraction, sleep and neuromodulation. Genome projects and expression studies have assigned individual neuropeptide families to their respective receptors. An understanding of the localization of these receptors is providing clues as to how numerous peptide families might be integrated in regulating physiological functions. In recent years microRNAs have been identified that down-regulate enzymes and transcription factors that are involved in the biosynthesis and action of juvenile hormone.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Bendena
- Department of Biology and Centre for Neuroscience, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Ian Chin-Sang
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L3N6, Canada
| | - Stephen S Tobe
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Ramsey-Wright Bldg., 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
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Pandit AA, Davies SA, Smagghe G, Dow JAT. Evolutionary trends of neuropeptide signaling in beetles - A comparative analysis of Coleopteran transcriptomic and genomic data. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 114:103227. [PMID: 31470084 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Insects employ neuropeptides to regulate their growth & development, behaviour, metabolism and their internal milieu. At least 50 neuropeptides are known to date, with some ancestral to the insects and others more specific to particular taxa. In order to understand the evolution and essentiality of neuropeptides, we data mined publicly available high quality genomic or transcriptomic data for 31 species of the largest insect Order, the Coleoptera, chosen to represent the superfamilies' of the Adephaga and Polyphaga. The resulting neuropeptide distributions were compared against the habitats, lifestyle and other parameters. Around half of the neuropeptide families were represented across the Coleoptera, suggesting essentiality or at least continuing utility. However, the remaining families showed patterns of loss that did not correlate with any obvious life history parameter, suggesting that these neuropeptides are no longer required for the Coleopteran lifestyle. This may perhaps indicate a decreasing reliance on neuropeptide signaling in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha A Pandit
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Shireen-Anne Davies
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Julian A T Dow
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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Alzugaray ME, Bruno MC, Villalobos Sambucaro MJ, Ronderos JR. The Evolutionary History of The Orexin/Allatotropin GPCR Family: from Placozoa and Cnidaria to Vertebrata. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10217. [PMID: 31308431 PMCID: PMC6629687 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46712-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidic messengers constitute a highly diversified group of intercellular messengers widely distributed in nature that regulate a great number of physiological processes in Metazoa. Being crucial for life, it seem that they have appeared in the ancestral group from which Metazoa evolved, and were highly conserved along the evolutionary process. Peptides act mainly through G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a family of transmembrane molecules. GPCRs are also widely distributed in nature being present in metazoan, but also in Choanoflagellata and Fungi. Among GPCRs, the Allatotropin/Orexin (AT/Ox) family is particularly characterized by the presence of the DRW motif in the second intracellular loop (IC Loop 2), and seems to be present in Cnidaria, Placozoa and in Bilateria, suggesting that it was present in the common ancestor of Metazoa. Looking for the evolutionary history of this GPCRs we searched for corresponding sequences in public databases. Our results suggest that AT/Ox receptors were highly conserved along evolutionary process, and that they are characterized by the presence of the E/DRWYAI motif at the IC Loop 2. Phylogenetic analyses show that AT/Ox family of receptors reflects evolutionary relationships that agree with current phylogenetic understanding in Actinopterygii and Sauropsida, including also the largely discussed position of Testudines.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia Bruno
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Nässel DR, Zandawala M. Recent advances in neuropeptide signaling in Drosophila, from genes to physiology and behavior. Prog Neurobiol 2019; 179:101607. [PMID: 30905728 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on neuropeptides and peptide hormones, the largest and most diverse class of neuroactive substances, known in Drosophila and other animals to play roles in almost all aspects of daily life, as w;1;ell as in developmental processes. We provide an update on novel neuropeptides and receptors identified in the last decade, and highlight progress in analysis of neuropeptide signaling in Drosophila. Especially exciting is the huge amount of work published on novel functions of neuropeptides and peptide hormones in Drosophila, largely due to the rapid developments of powerful genetic methods, imaging techniques and innovative assays. We critically discuss the roles of peptides in olfaction, taste, foraging, feeding, clock function/sleep, aggression, mating/reproduction, learning and other behaviors, as well as in regulation of development, growth, metabolic and water homeostasis, stress responses, fecundity, and lifespan. We furthermore provide novel information on neuropeptide distribution and organization of peptidergic systems, as well as the phylogenetic relations between Drosophila neuropeptides and those of other phyla, including mammals. As will be shown, neuropeptide signaling is phylogenetically ancient, and not only are the structures of the peptides, precursors and receptors conserved over evolution, but also many functions of neuropeptide signaling in physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Meet Zandawala
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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12
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Lubawy J, Marciniak P, Kuczer M, Rosiński G. Myotropic activity of allatostatins in tenebrionid beetles. Neuropeptides 2018; 70:26-36. [PMID: 29776677 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides control the functioning of the nervous system of insects, and they are the most diverse signalling molecules in terms of structure and function. Allatostatins are pleiotropic neuropeptides that are considered potent myoinhibitors of muscle contractions in insects. We investigated the effects caused by three distinct allatostatins, Dippu-AST1 (LYDFGL-NH2 from Diploptera punctata), Grybi-MIP1 (GWQDLNGGW-NH2 from Gryllus bimaculatus) and Trica-ASTC (pESRYRQCYFNPISCF-OH from Tribolium castaneum) on contractile activity of the myocardium, oviduct and hindgut of two tenebrionid beetles, Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas atratus. Studies showed that all three peptides exerted myostimulatory effects on the oviduct and hindgut of the beetles, however they did not cause any effect on myocardium. The effects of Dippu-AST1, Grybi-MIP1 and Trica-ASTC were dose-dependent and tissue and species specific. The highest stimulatory effect was caused by Trica-ASTC, showing stimulation of approximately 82% at a 10-12 M concentration and 76% at a 10-11 M concentration for T. molitor and Z. atratus, respectively. The oviduct of T. molitor was more susceptible to allatostatins than that of Z. atratus. Dippu-AST1 showed the maximum stimulating effect at 10-11 M (57%), whereas Grybi-MIP 1 at 10-10 M caused a 41% stimulation. Trica-ASTC, in both species, showed a myostimulatory effect over the whole range of tested concentrations but was most potent at a 10-12 M concentration and caused a 54% and 31.9% increase in the frequency of contractions in the oviduct of T. molitor and Z. atratus, respectively. The results suggest that allatostatins may affect the regulation of egg movement within the oviducts and movement of food in the digestive tract of beetles and do not regulate directly the activity of heart, thus being good candidate compounds in neuropeptides based pest control agents in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Lubawy
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Umultowska 89 Str, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Paweł Marciniak
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Umultowska 89 Str, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Mariola Kuczer
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University, F. Joliot-Curie 14D Str, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Rosiński
- Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Umultowska 89 Str, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
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Alzugaray ME, Ronderos JR. Allatoregulatory-like systems and changes in cytosolic Ca 2+ modulate feeding behavior in Hydra. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 258:70-78. [PMID: 28733226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) and allatostatin-C (AST-C) are neuropeptides originally characterized by their ability to modulate the secretion of juvenile hormones in insects. Beyond the allatoregulatory function, these neuropeptides are pleiotropic acting as myoregulators not only in insects, but also in other groups of invertebrates. We have previously proposed the existence of AT and AST-C like systems in Hydra sp., a member of the phylum Cnidaria, which is a basal group of Metazoa, sharing a common ancestor with Bilateria. In the present study we analyze the regulatory effects of both peptides on the activity of the hypostome during feeding in Hydra sp. Furthermore, the importance of changes in the cytosolic Ca2+ levels involved in the response of the hypostome were analyzed. Physiological assays showed that while the presence of food or treatment with AT stimulates the extrusion of the hypostome, AST-C has an inhibitory effect on the behavior induced by both, food and AT. These facts suggest that both systems participate in the regulatory mechanisms associated with feeding and, as in insects, AST-C and AT may exert opposite effects. The use of thapsigargin (TG) and nifedipine, two compounds that modify the levels of cytosolic Ca2+, showed that changes in the levels of this ion are involved in the regulation of the activity of the hypostome. Indeed, these results suggest that the two basic mechanisms operating to increase the cytosolic levels of Ca2+ (i.e. the influx from the extracellular space and the release from endoplasmic reticulum) are relevant for the extrusion of the hypostome. Like in insects, the treatment with TG counteracted the effect of AST-C, suggesting that this peptide acts by reducing cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Furthermore, nifedipine prevented the myostimulatory effect of AT, showing that the effect of this peptide depends on the influx of Ca2+ throughout voltage-gated calcium channels. Altogether, these results suggest that the Allatotropin/Orexin and Allatostatin/Somatostatin regulatory systems could represent an ancestral mechanisms regulating hypostome activity and feeding behavior in Cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina.
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Nagata S, Nagasawa H. Calcitonin-like peptide hormone (CT/DH) in the frontal ganglia as a feeding regulatory peptide of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Peptides 2017; 98:23-28. [PMID: 27341993 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The frontal ganglion (FrG) in insects contributes to the modulation of feeding behavior via the regulation of foregut contraction and other neural networks. Profiling the peptides of the FrG is important to understand endocrine regulation of feeding behavior in insects. High-resolution spiral matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified an ion peak, corresponding to calcitonin-like diuretic hormone 31 (CT/DH) in the FrG of silkworm Bombyx mori larvae. RT-PCR confirmed that CT/DH is expressed in the FrG, as are other peptide hormones, including allatoregulatory peptides. A feeding latency assay using synthetic CT/DH revealed that it increases the time to the initiation of feeding in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicate that CT/DH is a candidate regulatory peptide that modulates the feeding behavior of B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Nagata
- Department of Integrated Bioscience, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa City, Chiba, #277-8562, Japan; Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Hiromichi Nagasawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; Present address: College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
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Uno T, Furutani M, Sakamoto K, Uno Y, Kanamaru K, Mizoguchi A, Hiragaki S, Takeda M. Localization and functional analysis of the insect-specific RabX4 in the brain of Bombyx mori. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 96:e21404. [PMID: 28707374 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Rab proteins are small monomeric GTPases/GTP-binding proteins, which form the largest branch of the Ras superfamily. The different Rab GTPases are localized to the cytosolic face of specific intracellular membranes, where they function as regulators of distinct steps in membrane trafficking. RabX4 is an insect-specific Rab protein that has no close homolog in vertebrates. There is little information about insect-specific Rab proteins. RabX4 was expressed in Escherichia coli and subsequently purified. Antibodies against Bombyx mori RabX4 were produced in rabbits for western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Western blotting of neural tissues revealed a single band, at approximately 26 kD. RabX4-like immunohistochemical reactivity was restricted to neurons of the pars intercerebralis and dorsolateral protocerebrum in the brain. Further immunohistochemical analysis revealed that RabX4 colocalized with Rab6 and bombyxin in the corpus allatum, a neuronal organ that secretes neuropeptides synthesized in the brain into the hemolymph. RabX4 expression in the frontal ganglion, part of the insect stomatogastric nervous system that is found in most insect orders, was restricted to two neurons on the outer region and did not colocalize with allatotropin or Rab6. Furthermore, RNA interference of RabX4 decreased bombyxin expression levels in the brain. These findings suggest that RabX4 is involved in the neurosecretion of a secretory organ in Bombyx mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohide Uno
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Furutani
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan
| | | | - Yuichi Uno
- Department of Plant Resource Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kengo Kanamaru
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Akira Mizoguchi
- Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Aichi Gakuin University, Nisshin, Aichi, Japan
| | - Susumu Hiragaki
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Makio Takeda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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Sawadro M, Bednarek A, Babczyńska A. The current state of knowledge on the neuroactive compounds that affect the development, mating and reproduction of spiders (Araneae) compared to insects. INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2017; 17:4. [DOI: 10.1007/s10158-017-0197-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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17
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Bednár B, Roller L, Čižmár D, Mitrová D, Žitňan D. Developmental and sex-specific differences in expression of neuropeptides derived from allatotropin gene in the silkmoth Bombyx mori. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 368:259-275. [PMID: 28091775 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-016-2556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) and related neuropeptides are widespread bioactive molecules that regulate development, food intake and muscle contractions in insects and other invertebrates. In moths, alternative splicing of the at gene generates three mRNA precursors encoding AT with different combinations of three structurally similar AT-like peptides (ATLI-III). We used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to map the differential expression of these transcripts during the postembryonic development of Bombyx mori. Transcript encoding AT alone was expressed in numerous neurons of the central nervous system and frontal ganglion, whereas transcripts encoding AT with ATLs were produced by smaller specific subgroups of neurons in larval stages. Metamorphosis was associated with considerable developmental changes and sex-specific differences in the expression of all transcripts. The most notable was the appearance of AT/ATL transcripts (1) in the brain lateral neurosecretory cells producing prothoracicotropic hormone; (2) in the male-specific cluster of about 20 neurons in the posterior region of the terminal abdominal ganglion; (3) in the female-specific medial neurons in the abdominal ganglia AG2-7. Immunohistochemical staining showed that these neurons produced a mixture of various neuropeptides and innervated diverse peripheral organs. Our data suggest that AT/ATL neuropeptides are involved in multiple stage- and sex-specific functions during the development of B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Bednár
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Roller
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Čižmár
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Diana Mitrová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Villalobos-Sambucaro MJ, Diambra LA, Noriega FG, Ronderos JR. Allatostatin-C antagonizes the synergistic myostimulatory effect of allatotropin and serotonin in Rhodnius prolixus (Stal). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 233:1-7. [PMID: 27174746 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Haematophagous insects can ingest large quantities of blood in a single meal producing a large quantity of urine in the following hours to eliminate the excess of water and mineral ions incorporated. The excretory activity of the Malpighian tubules is facilitated by an increase in haemolymph circulation as a result of the intensification of aorta contractions, combined with an increase of anterior midgut peristaltic waves. We have recently shown that haemolymph circulation during post-prandial diuresis is modulated by the synergistic activity of allatotropin (AT) and serotonin, resulting in an increase in aorta and crop contraction rates. In the present study we describe the antagonistic effect of allatostatin-C (AST-C) on the increase of aorta frequency of contractions induced by serotonin/AT in Rhodnius prolixus. The administration of AST-C counteracted the increase in the frequency induced by the treatment with serotonin/AT, but did not affect the increase in frequency induced by the administration of serotonin alone, suggesting that AST-C is altering the synergism between serotonin and AT. Furthermore, the administration of AST-C during post-prandial diuresis decreases the number of peristaltic waves of the anterior midgut. The AST-C putative receptor is expressed in the hindgut, midgut and dorsal vessel, three critical organs involved in post-prandial diuresis. All together these findings provide evidence that AST-C plays a key role as a myoregulatory and cardioregulatory peptide in R. prolixus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fernando Gabriel Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Biomolecular Science Institute, Florida International University, Miami, USA
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Bil M, Huybrechts R. PHARMACOLOGICAL REGULATION OF DIGESTION IN THE ANAUTOGENOUS FLESH FLY, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, BY SIMPLE INJECTION OF 6-HYDROXYDOPAMINE. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 91:137-151. [PMID: 26728276 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21314] [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: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Female anautogenous Sarcophaga flesh flies need a protein meal to start large-scale yolk polypeptides (YPs) production and oocyte maturation. Protein meal rapidly elicits a brain-dependent increase in midgut proteolytic activity. Trypsin and chymotrypsin together represent over 80% of protease activity in liver-fed flies. Abdominal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) dose-dependently prohibits this increase in proteolytic activity at translational level in a similar way as post liver feeding decapitation. Delayed injection of 6-OHDA later than 6 h post liver meal has no effect. In flesh flies, chemical decapitation by 6-OHDA, by interrupting the brain-gut dopaminergic signaling, can be used as tool for the controlled inhibition of midgut proteolytic activity and subsequent ovarial development. Inhibition of ovarial development is probably indirect due to a deficit in circulating amino acids needed for YPs synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Bil
- Research group of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roger Huybrechts
- Research group of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Mang D, Shu M, Endo H, Yoshizawa Y, Nagata S, Kikuta S, Sato R. Expression of a sugar clade gustatory receptor, BmGr6, in the oral sensory organs, midgut, and central nervous system of larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 70:85-98. [PMID: 26721200 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Revised: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Insects taste nonvolatile chemicals through gustatory receptors (Grs) and make choices for feeding, mating, and oviposition. To date, genome projects have identified 69 Gr genes in the silkworm, Bombyx mori; however, the expression sites of these Grs remain to be explored. In this study, we used reverse transcription (RT)-PCR to investigate expression of the B. mori Gr-6 (BmGr6) gene, a member of the putative sugar clade gene family in various tissues. BmGr6 is expressed in the midgut, central nervous system (CNS), and oral sensory organs. Moreover, immunohistochemistry using an anti-BmGr6 antiserum demonstrated that BmGr6 is expressed in cells by oral sensory organs, midgut and nervous system. Furthermore, double-immunohistochemistry indicated that BmGr6 is expressed in midgut enteroendocrine cells, also in CNS neurosecretory cells. In particular, a portion of BmGr6-expressing cells, in both midgut and CNS, secretes FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs). These results suggest that BmGr6 functions not only as a taste receptor, but also as a chemical sensor such as for the regulation of gut movement, physiological conditions, and feeding behavior of larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingze Mang
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei 2-24-16, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Min Shu
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei 2-24-16, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Haruka Endo
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei 2-24-16, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Yoshizawa
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei 2-24-16, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Shinji Nagata
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Shingo Kikuta
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei 2-24-16, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Sato
- Graduate School of Bio-Application and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei 2-24-16, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
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Wende F, Meyering-Vos M, Hoffmann KH. IDENTIFICATION OF THE FGL-AMIDE ALLATOSTATIN GENE OF THE PRIMITIVE TERMITE Mastotermes darwiniensis AND THE WOODROACH Cryptocercus darwini. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 91:88-108. [PMID: 26513739 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21310] [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: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Allatostatins with the C-terminal ending Tyr/Phe-Xaa-Phe-Gly-Leu/Ile-amide (FGLa/ASTs) are widespread neuropeptides with multiple functions. The gene encoding the FGLa/AST polypeptide precursor was first isolated from cockroaches and since then could be identified in many insects and crustaceans. With its strictly conserved regions in combination with variable regions the gene seems to be a good candidate for phylogenetic analyses between closely and distantly related species. Here, the structure of the FGLa/AST gene of the most primitive termite, the giant northern termite Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt, was identified. The FGLa/AST gene of the woodroach Cryptocercus darwini was also determined. Precursor sequences of both species possess the general organization of dictyopteran FGLa/AST precursors containing 14 putative FGLa/AST peptides. In M. darwiniensis, only 11 out of the 14 FGLa/AST-like peptides possess the C-terminal conserved region Y/FXFGL/I/V/M and four of the putative peptide structures are not followed by a Gly residue that would lead to nonamidated peptides. Phylogenetic analyses show the high degree of similarity of dictyopteran FGLa/AST sequences. The position of termites, nested within the Blattaria, confirms that termites have evolved from primitive cockroaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Wende
- Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Klaus H Hoffmann
- Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Roller L, Čižmár D, Gáliková Z, Bednár B, Daubnerová I, Žitňan D. Molecular cloning, expression and identification of the promoter regulatory region for the neuropeptide trissin in the nervous system of the silkmoth Bombyx mori. Cell Tissue Res 2016; 364:499-512. [PMID: 26809512 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-015-2352-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Trissin has recently been identified as a conserved insect neuropeptide, but its cellular expression and function is unknown. We detected the presence of this neuropeptide in the silkworm Bombyx mori using in silico search and molecular cloning. In situ hybridisation was used to examine trissin expression in the entire central nervous system (CNS) and gut of larvae, pupae and adults. Surprisingly, its expression is restricted to only two pairs of small protocerebral interneurons and four to five large neurons in the frontal ganglion (FG). These neurons were further characterised by subsequent multiple staining with selected antibodies against insect neuropeptides. The brain interneurons innervate edges of the mushroom bodies and co-express trissin with myoinhibitory peptides (MIP) and CRF-like diuretic hormones (CRF-DH). In the FG, one pair of neurons co-express trissin with calcitonin-like diuretic hormone (CT-DH), short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and MIP. These neurons innervate the brain tritocerebrum and musculature of the anterior midgut. The other pair of trissin neurons in the FG co-express sNPF and project axons to the tritocerebrum and midgut. We also used the baculovirus expression system to identify the promoter regulatory region of the trissin gene for targeted expression of various molecular markers in these neurons. Dominant expression of trissin in the FG indicates its possible role in the regulation of foregut-midgut contractions and food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Roller
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Čižmár
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Gáliková
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Branislav Bednár
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ivana Daubnerová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Verlinden H, Gijbels M, Lismont E, Lenaerts C, Vanden Broeck J, Marchal E. The pleiotropic allatoregulatory neuropeptides and their receptors: A mini-review. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 80:2-14. [PMID: 25982521 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormones (JH) are highly pleiotropic insect hormones essential for post-embryonic development. The circulating JH titer in the hemolymph of insects is influenced by enzymatic degradation, binding to JH carrier proteins, uptake and storage in target organs, but evidently also by rates of production at its site of synthesis, the corpora allata (CA). The multiple processes in which JH is involved alongside the critical significance of JH in insect development emphasize the importance for elucidating the control of JH production. Production of JH in CA cells is regulated by different factors: by neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and glutamate, but also by allatoregulatory neuropeptides originating from the brain and axonally transported to the CA where they bind to their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Different classes of allatoregulatory peptides exist which have other functions aside from acting as influencers of JH production. These pleiotropic neuropeptides regulate different processes in different insect orders. In this mini-review, we will give an overview of allatotropins and allatostatins, and their recently characterized GPCRs with a view to better understand their modes of action and different action sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Verlinden
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Marijke Gijbels
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Els Lismont
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Cynthia Lenaerts
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Elisabeth Marchal
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Villalobos-Sambucaro MJ, Lorenzo-Figueiras AN, Riccillo FL, Diambra LA, Noriega FG, Ronderos JR. Allatotropin modulates myostimulatory and cardioacceleratory activities in Rhodnius prolixus (Stal). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124131. [PMID: 25897783 PMCID: PMC4405368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Haematophagous insects can ingest large quantities of blood in a single meal and eliminate high volumes of urine in the next few hours. This rise in diuresis is possible because the excretory activity of the Malpighian tubules is facilitated by an increase in haemolymph circulation as a result of intensification of aorta contractions combined with an increase of the anterior midgut peristaltic waves. It has been previously described that haemolymph circulation during post-prandial diuresis is stimulated by the synergistic activity of allatotropin (AT) and serotonin in the kissing bug Triatoma infestans; resulting in an increase in aorta contractions. In the same species, AT stimulates anterior midgut and rectum muscle contractions to mix urine and feces and facilitate the voiding of the rectum. Furthermore, levels of AT in midgut and Malpighian tubules increased in the afternoon when insects are getting ready for nocturnal feeding. In the present study we describe the synergistic effect of AT and serotonin increasing the frequency of contractions of the aorta in Rhodnius prolixus. The basal frequency of contractions of the aorta in the afternoon is higher that the observed during the morning, suggesting the existence of a daily rhythmic activity. The AT receptor is expressed in the rectum, midgut and dorsal vessel, three critical organs involved in post-prandial diuresis. All together these findings provide evidence that AT plays a role as a myoregulatory and cardioacceleratory peptide in R. prolixus.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos-Sambucaro
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Fernando Luis Riccillo
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Fernando Gabriel Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Lismont E, Vleugels R, Marchal E, Badisco L, Van Wielendaele P, Lenaerts C, Zels S, Tobe SS, Vanden Broeck J, Verlinden H. Molecular cloning and characterization of the allatotropin precursor and receptor in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:84. [PMID: 25814925 PMCID: PMC4357254 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Allatotropins (ATs) are pleiotropic neuropeptides initially isolated from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. In 2008, the first receptor for AT-like peptides (ATR) was characterized in Bombyx mori. Since then, ATRs have also been characterized in M. sexta, Tribolium castaneum, Aedes aegypti and Bombus terrestris. These receptors show sequence similarity to vertebrate orexin (ORX) receptors. When generating an EST-database of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) central nervous system, we found cDNA sequences encoding the Schgr-AT precursor and a fragment of its putative receptor. This receptor cDNA has now been completed and functionally expressed in mammalian cell lines. Activation of this receptor, designated as Schgr-ATR, by Schgr-AT caused an increase in intracellular calcium ions, as well as cyclic AMP (cAMP), with an EC50 value in the nanomolar range. In addition, the transcript distribution of both the Schgr-AT precursor and Schgr-ATR was investigated by means of quantitative real-time PCR. Moreover, we found more evidence for the myotropic and allatostimulatory actions of Schgr-AT in the desert locust. These data are discussed and situated in a broader context by comparison with literature data on AT and ATR in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Els Lismont
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rut Vleugels
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth Marchal
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium ; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Liesbeth Badisco
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Cynthia Lenaerts
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sven Zels
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephen S Tobe
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Heleen Verlinden
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
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Bil M, Broeckx V, Landuyt B, Huybrechts R. Differential peptidomics highlights adipokinetic hormone as key player in regulating digestion in anautogenous flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 208:49-56. [PMID: 25234055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Females of anautogenous flesh flies, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, need a protein meal in order to produce their first batch of eggs. This protein meal elicits an increase in midgut proteolytic activity that is under neuropeptidergic regulation. Time series of decapitation and rescue experiments of liver fed flies evidenced the need of a peptide factor released by corpora cardiaca (CC) within 4h post protein feeding in order to assure complete protein digestion. Q-Exactive quantitative differential peptidomics analysis on CC of sugar fed flies and flies 5h post protein feeding respectively, showed a unique consistent decrease in the stored amount of adipokinetic hormone (AKH) ranging between 16% up to 63%. Injection of AKH into liver fed decapitated flies as well as sugar fed intact flies resulted in dose dependent enhanced midgut proteolytic activity up to the level of intact protein fed flies. This suggests a key role of AKH in food depended reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Bil
- Research Group of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Valérie Broeckx
- Research Group of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Bart Landuyt
- Research Group of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Belgium
| | - Roger Huybrechts
- Research Group of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Belgium.
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Verlinden H, Lismont E, Bil M, Urlacher E, Mercer A, Vanden Broeck J, Huybrechts R. Characterisation of a functional allatotropin receptor in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 193:193-200. [PMID: 23968772 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropins (ATs) are multifunctional neuropeptides initially isolated from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, where they were found to stimulate juvenile hormone synthesis and release from the corpora allata. ATs have been found in a wide range of insects, but appear to be absent in Drosophila. The first AT receptor (ATR) was characterised in 2008 in the lepidopteran Bombyx mori. Since then ATRs have been characterised in Coleoptera and Diptera and in 2012, an AT precursor gene was identified in hymenopteran species. ATRs show large sequence and structural similarity to vertebrate orexin receptors (OXR). Also, AT in insects and orexin in vertebrates show some overlap in functions, including modulation of feeding behaviour and reproduction. The goal of this study was to identify a functional ATR in a hymenopteran species. We used ATRs (insect sequences) and OXRs (vertebrate sequences) to search the genome of the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Two receptors (XP_003402490 and XP_003394933) with resemblance to ATRs and OXRs were found. Phylogenetic analysis provided the first indication that XP_003402490 was more closely related to ATRs than XP_003394933. We investigated the transcript level distribution of both receptors and the AT precursor gene by means of quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. XP_003402490 displayed a tissue distribution comparable with ATRs in other species, with high transcript levels in the male accessory glands. After pharmacological characterisation, it appeared that XP_003402490 is indeed a functional ATR. Activation of the receptor causes an increase in intracellular calcium and cyclic AMP levels with an EC50 value in the low nanomolar to picomolar range. XP_003394933 remains an orphan receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Verlinden
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Alzugaray ME, Adami ML, Diambra LA, Hernandez-Martinez S, Damborenea C, Noriega FG, Ronderos JR. Allatotropin: an ancestral myotropic neuropeptide involved in feeding. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77520. [PMID: 24143240 PMCID: PMC3797082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cell-cell interactions are a basic principle for the organization of tissues and organs allowing them to perform integrated functions and to organize themselves spatially and temporally. Peptidic molecules secreted by neurons and epithelial cells play fundamental roles in cell-cell interactions, acting as local neuromodulators, neurohormones, as well as endocrine and paracrine messengers. Allatotropin (AT) is a neuropeptide originally described as a regulator of Juvenile Hormone synthesis, which plays multiple neural, endocrine and myoactive roles in insects and other organisms. Methods A combination of immunohistochemistry using AT-antibodies and AT-Qdot nanocrystal conjugates was used to identify immunoreactive nerve cells containing the peptide and epithelial-muscular cells targeted by AT in Hydraplagiodesmica. Physiological assays using AT and AT- antibodies revealed that while AT stimulated the extrusion of the hypostome in a dose-response fashion in starved hydroids, the activity of hypostome in hydroids challenged with food was blocked by treatments with different doses of AT-antibodies. Conclusions AT antibodies immunolabeled nerve cells in the stalk, pedal disc, tentacles and hypostome. AT-Qdot conjugates recognized epithelial-muscular cell in the same tissues, suggesting the existence of anatomical and functional relationships between these two cell populations. Physiological assays indicated that the AT-like peptide is facilitating food ingestion. Significance Immunochemical, physiological and bioinformatics evidence advocates that AT is an ancestral neuropeptide involved in myoregulatory activities associated with meal ingestion and digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM -UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariana Laura Adami
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM -UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- División Zoología Invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Luis Anibal Diambra
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Universidad Nacional de la Plata (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Salvador Hernandez-Martinez
- Centro de Investigación sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CISEI-INSP), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Cristina Damborenea
- División Zoología Invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Fernando Gabriel Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM -UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Universidad Nacional de la Plata (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Heuer CM, Kollmann M, Binzer M, Schachtner J. Neuropeptides in insect mushroom bodies. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2012; 41:199-226. [PMID: 22401884 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2012.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/23/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Owing to their experimental amenability, insect nervous systems continue to be in the foreground of investigations into information processing in - ostensibly - simple neuronal networks. Among the cerebral neuropil regions that hold a particular fascination for neurobiologists are the paired mushroom bodies, which, despite their function in other behavioral contexts, are most renowned for their role in learning and memory. The quest to understand the processes that underlie these capacities has been furthered by research focusing on unraveling neuroanatomical connections of the mushroom bodies and identifying key players that characterize the molecular machinery of mushroom body neurons. However, on a cellular level, communication between intrinsic and extrinsic mushroom body neurons still remains elusive. The present account aims to provide an overview on the repertoire of neuropeptides expressed in and utilized by mushroom body neurons. Existing data for a number of insect representatives is compiled and some open gaps in the record are filled by presenting additional original data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten M Heuer
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Marburg, Germany.
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30
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Bendena WG, Tobe SS. Families of allatoregulator sequences: a 2011 perspective1This review is part of a virtual symposium on recent advances in understanding a variety of complex regulatory processes in insect physiology and endocrinology, including development, metabolism, cold hardiness, food intake and digestion, and diuresis, through the use of omics technologies in the postgenomic era. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Three different peptide families have been named “allatostatins” (ASTs), based on their initial purifications which were based on their ability to inhibit juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis. These include (i) a family of peptides that have a consensus C-terminal sequence Y/FXFGL-NH2; (ii) a family of peptides with a conserved C-terminal sequence W(X)6W-NH2; and(iii) a family of peptides with C-terminal sequence PISCF, some of which are C-terminally-amidated. Each allatostatin family has functions distinct and apart from the inhibition of JH biosynthesis. A peptide family known as the “allatotropins” serve to stimulate JH biosynthesis. This family of peptides also has been proven to exert multiple effects dependent on the species in question. Genome and peptidome projects are uncovering new members of these families and it is clear that these structures are not just confined to Insecta but are found in a range of invertebrates. The receptors for these neuropeptides have been identified and tested experimentally for specific ligand binding. The Y/FXFGLa-ASTs exert their action through galanin-like receptors, W(X)6Wa-ASTs through a sex peptide-binding receptor, and PISCF-ASTs through somatostatin-like receptors. These receptors are conserved through evolutionary time and are being identified in numerous invertebrates by way of genome projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G. Bendena
- Department of Biology and Centre for Neurosciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Stephen S. Tobe
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
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31
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Spit J, Badisco L, Verlinden H, Van Wielendaele P, Zels S, Dillen S, Vanden Broeck J. Peptidergic control of food intake and digestion in insects 1This review is part of a virtual symposium on recent advances in understanding a variety of complex regulatory processes in insect physiology and endocrinology, including development, metabolism, cold hardiness, food intake and digestion, and diuresis, through the use of omics technologies in the postgenomic era. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Like all heterotrophic organisms, insects require a strict control of food intake and efficient digestion of food into nutrients to maintain homeostasis and to fulfill physiological tasks. Feeding and digestion are steered by both external and internal signals that are transduced by a multitude of regulatory factors, delivered either by neurons innervating the gut or mouthparts, or by midgut endocrine cells. The present review gives an overview of peptide regulators known to control feeding and digestion in insects. We describe the discovery and functional role in these processes for insect allatoregulatory peptides, diuretic hormones, FMRFamide-related peptides, (short) neuropeptide F, proctolin, saliva production stimulating peptides, kinins, and tachykinins. These peptides control either gut myoactivity, food intake, and (or) release of digestive enzymes. Some peptides exert their action at multiple levels, possibly having a biological function that depends on their site of delivery. Many regulatory peptides have been physically extracted from different insect species. However, multiple peptidomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and genome sequencing projects have led to increased discovery and prediction of peptide (precursor) and receptor sequences. In combination with physiological experiments, these large-scale projects have already led to important steps forward in unraveling the physiology of feeding and digestion in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Spit
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - L. Badisco
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - H. Verlinden
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - P. Van Wielendaele
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - S. Zels
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - S. Dillen
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - J. Vanden Broeck
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Nouzova M, Brockhoff A, Mayoral JG, Goodwin M, Meyerhof W, Noriega FG. Functional characterization of an allatotropin receptor expressed in the corpora allata of mosquitoes. Peptides 2012; 34:201-8. [PMID: 21839791 PMCID: PMC3233642 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2011.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Revised: 07/13/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropin is an insect neuropeptide with pleiotropic actions on a variety of different tissues. In the present work we describe the identification, cloning and functional and molecular characterization of an Aedes aegypti allatotropin receptor (AeATr) and provide a detailed quantitative study of the expression of the AeATr gene in the adult mosquito. Analysis of the tissue distribution of AeATr mRNA in adult female revealed high transcript levels in the nervous system (brain, abdominal, thoracic and ventral ganglia), corpora allata-corpora cardiaca complex and ovary. The receptor is also expressed in heart, hindgut and male testis and accessory glands. Separation of the corpora allata (CA) and corpora cardiaca followed by analysis of gene expression in the isolated glands revealed expression of the AeATr primarily in the CA. In the female CA, the AeATr mRNA levels were low in the early pupae, started increasing 6h before adult eclosion and reached a maximum 24h after female emergence. Blood feeding resulted in a decrease in transcript levels. The pattern of changes of AeATr mRNA resembles the changes in JH biosynthesis. Fluorometric Imaging Plate Reader recordings of calcium transients in HEK293 cells expressing the AeATr showed a selective response to A. aegypti allatotropin stimulation in the low nanomolar concentration range. Our studies suggest that the AeATr play a role in the regulation of JH synthesis in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Brockhoff
- Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany
| | | | | | - Wolfgang Meyerhof
- Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany
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Woodman JD. Cold tolerance of the Australian spur-throated locust, Austracris guttulosa. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 58:384-390. [PMID: 22226821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The cold tolerance of overwintering adult Spur-throated locusts, Austracris guttulosa, was examined using measures of supercooling point relative to gender, environmental acclimation and feeding state as well as mortality for a range of sub-zero temperature exposure treatments. Freezing was lethal and supercooling points ranged from -6 to -12.8°C, but were statistically independent of fresh mass, body water content, acclimation, and/or gut content in fed and starved individuals. A significant interaction effect of gender and feeding status showed that the larger bodied females had decreased supercooling capacity with increased food material in the digestive tract. Post-freezing dissections revealed differences in the amount of freshly consumed and retained food material in the digestive tract between fed and starved individuals of each gender, which could explain this effect based on inoculation of ice crystallisation by food particles. Above supercooling temperatures, neither gender nor the rate of cooling had a significant effect on mortality. When cooled from 25°C at 0.1 or 0.5°Cmin(-1) to a range of experimental minimum temperatures held for 3h, survival was ~74% to -7°C, but declined sharply to ~37% when cooled to -8°C or lower. Although the laboratory experiments reported here suggest that A. guttulosa is not freeze tolerant and unable to rapidly cold harden, exposure to typical cold and frosty nights that very rarely reach below -8°C as a night minimum in the field would be unlikely to cause mortality in the vast majority of overwintering aggregations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Woodman
- Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, Australia
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Nagata S, Matsumoto S, Mizoguchi A, Nagasawa H. Identification of cDNAs encoding allatotropin and allatotropin-like peptides from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Peptides 2012; 34:98-105. [PMID: 22265806 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Revised: 01/02/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cDNAs encoding allatotropin (AT) and allatotropin-like peptides (ATLPs) were isolated from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Similar to those of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, four peptides (AT, ATLP1, ATLP2, and ATLP3) are present in three different variants generated by alternative splicing. RT-PCR analyses showed that these splice variants are expressed in the central nervous system with differing expression patterns in each ganglion. Immunohistochemistry using an anti-AT antibody confirmed that AT-expressing cells were located in these central nervous ganglia as well as in two large anterior cells of the frontal ganglia. Injection of synthetic AT and ATLP-1 into B. mori larvae increased the latency to feed, indicating that AT and ATLP might function in the regulation of feeding behavior in B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Nagata
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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Adami ML, Damborenea C, Ronderos JR. An allatotropin-like neuropeptide in Mesostoma ehrenbergii (Rhabdocoela, Platyhelminthes). ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-012-0146-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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36
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Adami ML, Damborenea C, Ronderos JR. Expression of a neuropeptide similar to allatotropin in free living turbellaria (platyhelminthes). Tissue Cell 2011; 43:377-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2011.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Revised: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Horodyski FM, Verlinden H, Filkin N, Vandersmissen HP, Fleury C, Reynolds SE, Kai ZP, Broeck JV. Isolation and functional characterization of an allatotropin receptor from Manduca sexta. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 41:804-814. [PMID: 21699978 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2010] [Revised: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Manduca sexta allatotropin (Manse-AT) is a multifunctional neuropeptide whose actions include the stimulation of juvenile hormone biosynthesis, myotropic stimulation, cardioacceleratory functions, and inhibition of active ion transport. Manse-AT is a member of a structurally related peptide family that is widely found in insects and also in other invertebrates. Its precise role depends on the insect species and developmental stage. In some lepidopteran insects including M. sexta, structurally-related AT-like (ATL) peptides can be derived from alternatively spliced mRNAs transcribed from the AT gene. We have isolated a cDNA for an AT receptor (ATR) from M. sexta by a PCR-based approach using the sequence of the ATR from Bombyx mori. The sequence of the M. sexta ATR is similar to several G protein-coupled receptors from other insect species and to the mammalian orexin receptor. We demonstrate that the M. sexta ATR expressed in vertebrate cell lines is activated in a dose-responsive manner by Manse-AT and each Manse-ATL peptide in the rank order ATL-I > ATL-II > ATL-III > AT, and functional analysis in multiple cell lines suggest that the receptor is coupled through elevated levels of Ca(2+) and cAMP. In feeding larvae, Manse-ATR mRNA is present at highest levels in the Malpighian tubules, followed by the midgut, hindgut, testes, and corpora allata, consistent with its action on multiple target tissues. In the adult corpora cardiaca--corpora allata complex, Manse-ATR mRNA is present at relatively low levels in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank M Horodyski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA.
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Riccillo F, Ronderos J. Allatotropin expression during the development of the fourth instar larvae of the kissing-bug Triatoma infestans (Klüg). Tissue Cell 2010; 42:355-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2010.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2010] [Revised: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 07/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Cooper PD, Beckage NE. Effects of starvation and parasitism on foregut contraction in larval Manduca sexta. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 56:1958-1965. [PMID: 20813112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2009] [Revised: 08/14/2010] [Accepted: 08/23/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Larvae of Manduca sexta are parasitised by the braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata. In this study we examined whether contraction activity of the semi-isolated foregut was affected by parasitism. Parasitised larvae fed significantly less compared with unparasitised control larvae, therefore starved unparasitised animals were used as controls. Rate and force of foregut contraction in control caterpillars significantly increased with days of starvation. However, only contraction force in foreguts of parasitised larvae increased over time following infection. The presence of food in the foregut of caterpillars starved 7 days suggested that food moved anteriorly from the midgut and that contraction became antiperistaltic, but only normal peristalsis occurred in parasitised caterpillars. Rate and force of gut contractions may be controlled independently and starvation did not truly mimic the effects of the parasitoids. Dissection of caterpillars with emerged wasps indicated that 47% had a single wasp larva wedged between the brain and foregut. Removal of this wasp caused an increased rate of foregut contraction of the caterpillar. Brain removal resulted in an increased rate of foregut contraction only for unparasitised insects. Sectioning of the recurrent nerve temporarily eliminated foregut contraction, but the contraction began again in 250 s in parasitised caterpillars prior to wasp emergence, compared with over 500 s for unparasitised controls and parasitised caterpillars following wasp emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Cooper
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
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Cardioacceleratory and myostimulatory activity of allatotropin in Triatoma infestans. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2010; 155:371-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2009.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 12/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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41
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Lwalaba D, Hoffmann KH, Woodring J. Control of the release of digestive enzymes in the larvae of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 73:14-29. [PMID: 19771560 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
There is a basal level of enzyme activity for trypsin, aminopeptidase, amylase, and lipase in the gut of unfed larval (L6) Spodoptera frugiperda. Trypsin activity does not decrease with non-feeding, possibly because of the low protein levels in plants along with high amino acid requirements for growth and storage (for later reproduction in adults). Therefore, trypsin must always be present so that only a minimal protein loss via egestion occurs. Larvae, however, adjust amylase activity to carbohydrate ingestion, and indeed amylase activity is five-fold higher in fed larvae compared to unfed larvae. Gut lipase activity is low, typical of insects with a high carbohydrate diet. A flat-sheet preparation of the ventriculus was used to measure the release of enzymes in response to specific nutrients and known brain/gut hormones in S. frugiperda. Sugars greatly increase (>300%) amylase release, but starch has no effect. Proteins and amino acids have little or no effect on trypsin or aminopeptidase release. The control of enzyme release in response to food is likely mediated through neurohormones. Indeed, an allatostatin (Spofr-AS A5) inhibits amylase and trypsin, and allatotropin (Manse- AT) stimulates amylase and trypsin release. Spofr-AS A5 also inhibits ileum myoactivity and Manse-AT stimulates myoactivity. The epithelial secretion rate of amylase and trypsin was about 20% of the amount of enzyme present in the ventricular lumen, which, considering the efficient counter-current recycling of enzymes, suggests that the secretion rate is adequate to replace egested enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Digali Lwalaba
- Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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42
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Santini MS, Ronderos JR. Daily variation of an allatotropin-like peptide in the Chagas disease vectorTriatoma infestans(klug). BIOL RHYTHM RES 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/09291010802214583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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43
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NICHOLS RUTHANN, BENDENA WILLIAMG, TOBE STEPHENS. Myotropic Peptides in Drosophila Melanogaster And The Genes That Encode Them. J Neurogenet 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/01677060290024592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- RUTHANN NICHOLS
- Biological Chemistry Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | | | - STEPHEN S. TOBE
- Zoology Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
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Mitsumasu K, Tanaka Y, Niimi T, Yamashita O, Yaginuma T. Novel gene encoding precursor protein consisting of possible several neuropeptides expressed in brain and frontal ganglion of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Peptides 2009; 30:1233-40. [PMID: 19540422 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2009.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2008] [Revised: 03/04/2009] [Accepted: 03/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A novel gene (BmK5) expressed in the central nervous system of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was isolated using a cDNA subtraction method. BmK5 was first cloned as a candidate regulator of diapause hormone release from subesophageal ganglion via corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum into the hemolymph; however, subsequent analyses revealed that the gene expression patterns in brain-subesophageal ganglion complexes did not differ between diapause and nondiapause egg producers. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the characteristics of secretory protein precursor or nuclear localization protein. Immunohistochemical experiments with an anti-BmK5 antibody revealed that BmK5 precursor protein exists in the cytoplasm of specific cells of brain and frontal ganglion, but not in the nuclei. In addition, a peptide (GSGTKVGGAGAATKVVTKSGS-NH(2)) possibly processed from the BmK5 precursor protein was immunohistochemically detected in the axons connecting the anti-BmK5 antibody-positive cells to the neurohemal organ, corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum. These results suggest that BmK5 encodes a precursor of the novel neurosecretory protein and that several mature peptides are released into the hemolymph via the corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum, although the functions of these peptides are yet unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Mitsumasu
- Sericulture and Entomoresources, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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Audsley N, Weaver RJ. Neuropeptides associated with the regulation of feeding in insects. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 162:93-104. [PMID: 18775723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2008] [Revised: 07/01/2008] [Accepted: 08/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The stomatogastric nervous system plays a pivotal role in feeding behaviour. Central to this system is the frontal ganglion, which is responsible for foregut motor activity, and hence the passage of food through the gut. Many insect peptides, which exhibit myoactivity on the visceral muscles of the gut in vitro, have been detected in the stomatogastric nervous system by immunochemical or mass spectrometric techniques. This localisation of myoactive peptides, particularly in the frontal ganglion, implies roles for these peptides in the neural control and modulation of feeding in insects. Insect sulfakinins, tachykinins, allatotropin and proctolin have all been shown to stimulate the foregut muscles, whereas myosuppressins, myoinhibitory peptides and allatostatins all inhibited spontaneous contractions of the foregut in a variety of insects. Some of these peptides, when injected, inhibited feeding in vivo. Both the A-type and B-type allatostatins suppressed feeding activity when injected into the cockroach, Blattella germanica and the Manduca sexta C-type allatostatin and allatotropin inhibited feeding when injected into the larvae of two noctuid moths, Lacanobia oleracea and Spodoptera frugiperda, respectively. Injection of sulfakinins into the fly Phormia regina, the locust Schistocera gregaria and the cockroach B. germanica also suppressed feeding, whereas silencing the sulfakinin gene through the injection of double stranded RNA resulted in an increase in food consumption in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The regulation of feeding in insects is clearly very complex, and involves the interaction of a number of mechanisms, one of which is the release, either centrally or locally, of neuropeptides. However, the role of neuropeptides, their mechanisms of action, interactions with each other, and their release are still poorly understood. It is also unclear why insects possess such a number of different peptides, some with multiples copies or homologues, which stimulate or inhibit gut motility, and how their release, sometimes from the same neurone, is regulated. These neuropeptides may also act at sites other than visceral muscles, such as centrally through the brain or on gut stretch receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Audsley
- Environmental Biology Group, Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
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Neupert S, Schattschneider S, Predel R. Allatotropin-related peptide in cockroaches: identification via mass spectrometric analysis of single identified neurons. Peptides 2009; 30:489-94. [PMID: 19071174 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2008.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2008] [Revised: 10/30/2008] [Accepted: 10/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The first insect allatotropin-related peptide (ATRP) was isolated from head extracts of the adult sphinx moth Manduca sexta [Kataoka H, Toschi A, Li JP, Carney RL, Schooley DA, Kramer SJ. Identification of an allatotropin from adult Manduca sexta. Science 1989;243:1481-3.]. Meanwhile ATRPs are known from different holometabolous insects but only a single ATRP could be identified from hemimetabolous insects [Paemen L, Tips A, Schoofs L, Proost P, Van Damme J, De Loof A. Lom-AG-myotropin: a novel myotropic peptide from the male accessory glands of Locusta migratoria. Peptides 1991;12:7-10.]. This means that the extensive analysis of neuropeptides from Leucophaea maderae and Periplaneta americana, which led to the discovery of many novel insect neuropeptides, did not result in the detection of any ATRP. In this study, we used another approach to find a cockroach ATRP by first identifying Manse-AT immunoreactive neurons in the terminal ganglion that can be stained by retrograde labeling and are suitable for dissection and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis. The peptidomic analysis of these putative ATRP neurons paved the way for the identification of the first cockroach ATRP. MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry revealed a sequence identity with Locmi-AG-MT-1 which classifies this ATRP as a highly conserved neuropeptide. A mass spectrometric screening of the nervous system allowed the detection of ATRP-ion signals in different parts of the CNS of P. americana as well as L. maderae. The data obtained in this study will be incorporated in a map of peptidergic neurons from the CNS of the American cockroach, P. americana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Neupert
- Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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Santini MS, Ronderos JR. Allatotropin-like peptide in Malpighian tubules: insect renal tubules as an autonomous endocrine organ. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 160:243-9. [PMID: 19118556 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2008] [Revised: 10/13/2008] [Accepted: 12/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Malpighian tubules (MTs) are recognised as the main excretory organ in insects, ensuring water and mineral balance. Haematophagous insects incorporate with each meal a large quantity of blood, producing a particularly large volume of urine in a few hours. In the present study, we report the presence of an allatotropin-like (AT-like) peptide in MTs of Triatoma infestans (Klug). The AT-like content in MTs decreased during the first hours after blood-intake, correlating with the post-prandial diuresis. In vivo artificial dilution of haemolymph showed a similar effect. Isolated MTs challenged with a diluted saline solution resulted in an autonomous and reversible response of the organ regulating the quantity of peptide released to the medium, and suggesting that MTs synthesise the AT-like peptide. While MTs are recognised as the target for several hormones, our results corroborate that they also have the ability to produce and secrete a hormone in an autonomous way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Soledad Santini
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genomicos (CREG), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Parque Tecnologico Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Matthews HJ, Audsley N, Weaver RJ. In vitro and in vivo effects of myo-active peptides on larvae of the tomato moth Lacanobia oleracea and the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2008; 69:60-69. [PMID: 18780345 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides from five different neuropeptide families [Manduca sexta allatostatin (Manse-AS), and Manse-AS deletion analogue(5-15), M. sexta allatotropin (Manse-AT), leucomyosuppressin, perisulfakinin, and myoinhibitory peptide I (MIP I)] were assayed for their ability to affect the development and food consumption of penultimate and last larval instars of two lepidopteran species, L. oleracea and S. littoralis. Injections of Manse-AS deletion analogue(5-15), Manse-AT, perisulfakinin, and MIP I had no observable effects on development, food consumption, or mortality compared to controls. Single injections of Manse-AS significantly reduced the weight gain and increased mortality of L. oleracea and S. littoralis larvae compared to controls. By contrast, feeding Manse-AS to L. oleracea had no such effects. These differences were probably due to the degradation of the peptide by digestive enzymes in the foregut of L. oleracea. In studies in vitro, perisulfakinin, and MIP I had no effect on the spontaneous foregut contractions of L. oleracea larvae. Leucomyosuppressin, however, had myoinhibitory effects on the foregut. Single injections of leucomyosuppressin significantly reduced the weight gain and food consumption of L. oleracea and S. littoralis larvae and increased mortality. These data suggest that the deleterious effects observed in vivo were due to the myoinhibition by Manse-AS and leucomyosuppressin of the normal peristaltic movements of the gut either by the intact peptide or by its cleavage products resulting from degradation in the haemolymph.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Matthews
- Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, United Kingdom.
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Sinakevitch I, Sjöholm M, Hansson BS, Strausfeld NJ. Global and local modulatory supply to the mushroom bodies of the moth Spodoptera littoralis. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2008; 37:260-272. [PMID: 18406668 PMCID: PMC4876857 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2008.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2007] [Revised: 01/05/2008] [Accepted: 01/08/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The moth Spodoptera littoralis, is a major pest of agriculture whose olfactory system is tuned to odorants emitted by host plants and conspecifics. As in other insects, the paired mushroom bodies are thought to play pivotal roles in behaviors that are elicited by contextual and multisensory signals, amongst which those of specific odors dominate. Compared with species that have elaborate behavioral repertoires, such as the honey bee Apis mellifera or the cockroach Periplaneta americana, the mushroom bodies of S. littoralis were originally viewed as having a simple cellular organization. This has been since challenged by observations of putative transmitters and neuromodulators. As revealed by immunocytology, the spodopteran mushroom bodies, like those of other taxa, are subdivided longitudinally into discrete neuropil domains. Such divisions are further supported by the present study, which also demonstrates discrete affinities to different mushroom body neuropils by antibodies raised against two putative transmitters, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, and against three putative neuromodulatory substances: serotonin, A-type allatostatin, and tachykinin-related peptides. The results suggest that in addition to longitudinal divisions of the lobes, circuits in the calyces and lobes are likely to be independently modulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Sinakevitch
- IBDML-UMR 6216, Case 907 Parc Scientifique de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, Cedex 9, France
| | - Marcus Sjöholm
- Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-23053, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Bill S. Hansson
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Hans-Knoell-Strasse 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Nicholas J. Strausfeld
- Arizona Research Laboratories Division of Neurobiology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
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50
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Audsley N, Matthews HJ, Price NR, Weaver RJ. Allatoregulatory peptides in Lepidoptera, structures, distribution and functions. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2008; 54:969-980. [PMID: 18377924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2007] [Revised: 01/18/2008] [Accepted: 01/22/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Allatoregulatory peptides either inhibit (allatostatins) or stimulate (allatotropins) juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis by the corpora allata (CA) of insects. However, these peptides are pleitropic, the regulation of JH biosynthesis is not their only function. There are currently three allatostatin families (A-, B-, and C-type allatostatins) that inhibit JH biosynthesis, and two structurally unrelated allatotropins. The C-type allatostatin, characterised by its blocked N-terminus and a disulphide bridge between its two cysteine residues, was originally isolated from Manduca sexta. This peptide exists only in a single from in Lepidoptera and is the only peptide that has been shown to inhibit JH synthesis by the CA in vitro in this group of insects. The C-type allatostatin also inhibits spontaneous contractions of the foregut. The A-type allatostatins, which exist in multiple forms in a single insect, have also been characterised from Lepidoptera. This family of peptides does not appear to have any regulatory effect on JH biosynthesis, but does inhibit foregut muscle contractions. Two structurally unrelated allatotropins stimulate JH biosynthesis in Lepidoptera. The first was identified in M. sexta (Manse-AT) and occurs in other moths. The second (Spofr AT2) has only been identified in Spodoptera frugiperda. Manduca sexta allatotropin also stimulates heart muscle contractions and gut peristalsis, and inhibits ion transport across the midgut of larval M. sexta. The C-terminal (amide) pentapeptide of Manse-AT is important for JH biosynthesis activity. The most active conformation of Manse-AS requires the disulphide bridge, although the aromatic residues also have a significant effect on biological activity. Both A- and C-type allatostatins and Manse-AT are localised in neurosecretory cells of the brain and are present in the corpora cardiaca, CA and ventral nerve cord, although variations in localisation exist in different moths and at different stages of development. The presence of Manse-AS and Manse-AT in the CA correlates with the biological activity of these peptides on JH biosynthesis. There is currently no explanation for the presence of A-type allatostatins in the CA. The three peptide types are also co-localised in neurosecretory cells of the frontal ganglion, and are present in the recurrent nerve that supplies the muscles of the gut, particularly the crop and stomodeal valve, in agreement with their role in the regulation of gut peristalsis. There is also evidence that they are expressed in the midgut and reproductive tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Audsley
- Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
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