1
|
Borovsky D, Rougé P. Heliothis virescens chymotrypsin is translationally controlled by AeaTMOF binding ABC putative receptor. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 114:1-24. [PMID: 37526204 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Heliothis virescens larval chymotrypsin (GenBank accession number AF43709) was cloned, sequenced and its three dimensional (3D) conformation modeled. The enzyme's transcript was first detected 6 days after larval emergence and the transcript level was shown to fall between larval ecdysis periods. Comparisons between the activities of larval gut chymotrypsin and trypsin shows that chymotrypsin activity is only 16% of the total trypsin activity and the pH optimum of the larval chymotrypsin is between pH 9-10, however the enzyme also exhibited a broad activity between pH 4-6. Injections of AeaTMOF and several shorter analogues into 3rd instar larvae followed by Northern blot analyses showed that although the chymotrypsins activities were inhibited by 60%-80% the transcript level of the sequenced chymotrypsin was not reduced and was similar to controls in which the chymotrypsin activity was not inhibited, indicating that AeaTMOF and its analogues exert a translational control. Based on these observations a putative AeaTMOF receptor (ABCC4) homologous to the Ae. aegypti ABC receptor sequence was found in the H. virescens genome. 3D molecular modeling and docking of the AeaTMOF and several of its analogues to the ABCC4 receptor showed that it can bind AeaTMOF and its analogues as was shown before for the Ae. aegypti receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dov Borovsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Pierre Rougé
- UMR 152 Pharma-Dev, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Institut de Recherche et Développement, Université Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Borovsky D, Rougé P. Cloning and characterization of Aedes aegypti blood downregulated chymotrypsin II. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 113:e22018. [PMID: 37106507 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti adult and larval blood downregulated chymotrypsin II was cloned, sequenced and its 3D conformation modeled. Cloning of the enzymes from adult and larval guts indicated that both genes sit at the same location on Chromosome 2. Genomic analyses showed that larval and adult genes are the same and both have four exons and three introns that are located on an 8.32 Kb DNA in direction with the Ae. aegypti genome. The adult and larval transcript synthesis is controlled by alternative splicing explaining small difference in the amino acids sequences. Chymotrypsin II that was extracted from guts of sugar-fed and at 48 after blood feeding showed a pH optimum of 4-5 with a broad shoulder of activity from pH 6 to 10. Dot blot analyses show that the enzyme's transcript is downregulated after females take a blood meal and upregulated at 48 h after the blood meal. A Chymotrypsin II transcript was also detected in the larval gut during different times of larval developmental stages, indication that Ae. aegypti chymotrypsin II is synthesized by adults and larval guts. The possibility that JH III and 20HE play an active role in the regulation is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dov Borovsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Pierre Rougé
- UMR 152 Pharma-Dev, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Institut de Recherche et Développement, Université Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shao E, Song Y, Wang Y, Liao Y, Luo Y, Liu S, Guan X, Huang Z. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of putative digestive proteases in the salivary gland and gut of Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii Matsuda. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:271. [PMID: 33858340 PMCID: PMC8048321 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07578-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Infestation by tea green leafhoppers (Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii) can cause a series of biochemical changes in tea leaves. As a typical cell-rupture feeder, E. onukii secretes proteases while using its stylet to probe the tender shoots of tea plants (Camellia sinensis). This study identified and analyzed proteases expressed specifically in the salivary gland (SG) and gut of E. onukii through enzymatic activity assays complemented with an integrated analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data. Results In total, 129 contigs representing seven types of putative proteases were identified. Transcript abundance of digestive proteases and enzymatic activity assays showed that cathepsin B-like protease, cathepsin L-like protease, and serine proteases (trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like protease) were highly abundant in the gut but moderately abundant in the SG. The abundance pattern of digestive proteases in the SG and gut of E. onukii differed from that of other hemipterans, including Nilaparvata lugens, Laodelphax striatellus, Acyrthosiphum pisum, Halyomorpha halys and Nephotettix cincticeps. Phylogenetic analysis showed that aminopeptidase N-like proteins and serine proteases abundant in the SG or gut of hemipterans formed two distinct clusters. Conclusions Altogether, this study provides insightful information on the digestive system of E. onukii. Compared to five other hemipteran species, we observed different patterns of proteases abundant in the SG and gut of E. onukii. These results will be beneficial in understanding the interaction between tea plants and E. onukii. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07578-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ensi Shao
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, School of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China
| | - Yujuan Song
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, School of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China
| | - Yaomin Wang
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, School of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China
| | - Yichen Liao
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, School of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China
| | - Yufei Luo
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, School of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China
| | - Sijun Liu
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, 50011-3222 Ames, Iowa, USA.
| | - Xiong Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops & Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China
| | - Zhipeng Huang
- China National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO Technology, School of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Smith G, Kelly JE, Macias-Muñoz A, Butts CT, Martin RW, Briscoe AD. Evolutionary and structural analyses uncover a role for solvent interactions in the diversification of cocoonases in butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2037. [PMID: 29298934 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Multi-omic approaches promise to supply the power to detect genes underlying disease and fitness-related phenotypes. Optimal use of the resulting profusion of data requires detailed investigation of individual candidate genes, a challenging proposition. Here, we combine transcriptomic and genomic data with molecular modelling of candidate enzymes to characterize the evolutionary history and function of the serine protease cocoonase. Heliconius butterflies possess the unique ability to feed on pollen; recent work has identified cocoonase as a candidate gene in pollen digestion. Cocoonase was first described in moths, where it aids in eclosure from the cocoon and is present as a single copy gene. In heliconiine butterflies it is duplicated and highly expressed in the mouthparts of adults. At least six copies of cocoonase are present in Heliconius melpomene and copy number varies across H. melpomene sub-populations. Most cocoonase genes are under purifying selection, however branch-site analyses suggest cocoonase 3 genes may have evolved under episodic diversifying selection. Molecular modelling of cocoonase proteins and examination of their predicted structures revealed that the active site region of each type has a similar structure to trypsin, with the same predicted substrate specificity across types. Variation among heliconiine cocoonases instead lies in the outward-facing residues involved in solvent interaction. Thus, the neofunctionalization of cocoonase duplicates appears to have resulted from the need for these serine proteases to operate in diverse biochemical environments. We suggest that cocoonase may have played a buffering role in feeding during the diversification of Heliconius across the neotropics by enabling these butterflies to digest protein from a range of biochemical milieux.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA .,School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Brambell Laboratories, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - J E Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - A Macias-Muñoz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - C T Butts
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.,Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - R W Martin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - A D Briscoe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Temporal transcriptomic profiling of the ant-feeding assassin bug Acanthaspis cincticrus reveals a biased expression of genes associated with predation in nymphs. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12691. [PMID: 28978945 PMCID: PMC5627237 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12978-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Acanthaspis cincticrus (Stål) is an assassin bug with a specialized camouflaging behavior to ambush ants in the nymphal stages. In this study, we comprehensively sequenced all the life stages of A. cincticrus, including the eggs, five nymph instars, female and male adults using Illumina HiSeq technology. We obtained 176 million clean sequence reads. The assembled 84,055 unigenes were annotated and classified functionally based on protein databases. Among the unigenes, 29.03% were annotated by one or more databases, suggesting their well-conserved functions. Comparison of the gene expression profiles in the egg, nymph and adult stages revealed certain bias. Functional enrichment analysis of significantly differentially expressed genes (SDEGs) showed positive correlation with specific physiological processes within each stage, including venom, aggression, olfactory recognition as well as growth and development. Relative expression of ten SDEGs involved in predation process was validated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).
Collapse
|
6
|
Smith G, Macias-Muñoz A, Briscoe AD. Gene Duplication and Gene Expression Changes Play a Role in the Evolution of Candidate Pollen Feeding Genes in Heliconius Butterflies. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:2581-96. [PMID: 27553646 PMCID: PMC5010911 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Heliconius possess a unique ability among butterflies to feed on pollen. Pollen feeding significantly extends their lifespan, and is thought to have been important to the diversification of the genus. We used RNA sequencing to examine feeding-related gene expression in the mouthparts of four species of Heliconius and one nonpollen feeding species, Eueides isabella. We hypothesized that genes involved in morphology and protein metabolism might be upregulated in Heliconius because they have longer proboscides than Eueides, and because pollen contains more protein than nectar. Using de novo transcriptome assemblies, we tested these hypotheses by comparing gene expression in mouthparts against antennae and legs. We first looked for genes upregulated in mouthparts across all five species and discovered several hundred genes, many of which had functional annotations involving metabolism of proteins (cocoonase), lipids, and carbohydrates. We then looked specifically within Heliconius where we found eleven common upregulated genes with roles in morphology (CPR cuticle proteins), behavior (takeout-like), and metabolism (luciferase-like). Closer examination of these candidates revealed that cocoonase underwent several duplications along the lineage leading to heliconiine butterflies, including two Heliconius-specific duplications. Luciferase-like genes also underwent duplication within lepidopterans, and upregulation in Heliconius mouthparts. Reverse-transcription PCR confirmed that three cocoonases, a peptidase, and one luciferase-like gene are expressed in the proboscis with little to no expression in labial palps and salivary glands. Our results suggest pollen feeding, like other dietary specializations, was likely facilitated by adaptive expansions of preexisting genes—and that the butterfly proboscis is involved in digestive enzyme production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Aide Macias-Muñoz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Adriana D Briscoe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
de Assis Fonseca FC, Firmino AAP, de Macedo LLP, Coelho RR, de Sousa Júnior JDA, Silva-Junior OB, Togawa RC, Pappas GJ, de Góis LAB, da Silva MCM, Grossi-de-Sá MF. Sugarcane giant borer transcriptome analysis and identification of genes related to digestion. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118231. [PMID: 25706301 PMCID: PMC4338194 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sugarcane is a widely cultivated plant that serves primarily as a source of sugar and ethanol. Its annual yield can be significantly reduced by the action of several insect pests including the sugarcane giant borer (Telchin licus licus), a lepidopteran that presents a long life cycle and which efforts to control it using pesticides have been inefficient. Although its economical relevance, only a few DNA sequences are available for this species in the GenBank. Pyrosequencing technology was used to investigate the transcriptome of several developmental stages of the insect. To maximize transcript diversity, a pool of total RNA was extracted from whole body insects and used to construct a normalized cDNA database. Sequencing produced over 650,000 reads, which were de novo assembled to generate a reference library of 23,824 contigs. After quality score and annotation, 43% of the contigs had at least one BLAST hit against the NCBI non-redundant database, and 40% showed similarities with the lepidopteran Bombyx mori. In a further analysis, we conducted a comparison with Manduca sexta midgut sequences to identify transcripts of genes involved in digestion. Of these transcripts, many presented an expansion or depletion in gene number, compared to B. mori genome. From the sugarcane giant borer (SGB) transcriptome, a number of aminopeptidase N (APN) cDNAs were characterized based on homology to those reported as Cry toxin receptors. This is the first report that provides a large-scale EST database for the species. Transcriptome analysis will certainly be useful to identify novel developmental genes, to better understand the insect's biology and to guide the development of new strategies for insect-pest control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Campos de Assis Fonseca
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Augusto Pereira Firmino
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Lima Pepino de Macedo
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Roberta Ramos Coelho
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | | | - Orzenil Bonfim Silva-Junior
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sá
- Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Phenol oxidase is a necessary enzyme for the silkworm molting which is regulated by molting hormone. Mol Biol Rep 2012; 40:3549-55. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-012-2428-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
9
|
Broehan G, Zimoch L, Wessels A, Ertas B, Merzendorfer H. A chymotrypsin-like serine protease interacts with the chitin synthase from the midgut of the tobacco hornworm. J Exp Biol 2007; 210:3636-43. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.008334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
The chitin portion of the peritrophic matrix in the midgut of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, is produced by chitin synthase 2 (CHS2), a transmembrane family II glycosyltransferase, located at the apical tips of brush border microvilli. To look for proteins that potentially interact with CHS2, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening, identifying a novel chymotrypsin-like protease (CTLP1) that binds to the extracellular carboxyterminal domain of CHS2. The occurrence of this interaction in vivo is supported by co-localization and co-immunoprecipitation data. Based on our findings we propose that chitin synthesis is controlled by an intestinal proteolytic signalling cascade linking chitin synthase activity to the nutritional state of the larvae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Broehan
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück,D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Lars Zimoch
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück,D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Anton Wessels
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück,D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Beyhan Ertas
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück,D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Hans Merzendorfer
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück,D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Merzendorfer H, Zimoch L. Chitin metabolism in insects: structure, function and regulation of chitin synthases and chitinases. J Exp Biol 2003; 206:4393-412. [PMID: 14610026 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 739] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Chitin is one of the most important biopolymers in nature. It is mainly produced by fungi, arthropods and nematodes. In insects, it functions as scaffold material, supporting the cuticles of the epidermis and trachea as well as the peritrophic matrices lining the gut epithelium. Insect growth and morphogenesis are strictly dependent on the capability to remodel chitin-containing structures. For this purpose, insects repeatedly produce chitin synthases and chitinolytic enzymes in different tissues. Coordination of chitin synthesis and its degradation requires strict control of the participating enzymes during development. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in understanding chitin synthesis and its degradation in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hans Merzendorfer
- Department of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|