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Marco HG, Glendinning S, Ventura T, Gäde G. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) superfamily across Pancrustacea/Tetraconata: A role in metabolism? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 590:112238. [PMID: 38616035 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather G Marco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Susan Glendinning
- Centre for BioInnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia; School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - Tomer Ventura
- Centre for BioInnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia; School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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Jiang S, Marco HG, Scheich N, He S, Wang Z, Gäde G, McMahon DP. Comparative analysis of adipokinetic hormones and their receptors in Blattodea reveals novel patterns of gene evolution. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 32:615-633. [PMID: 37382487 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Adipokinetic hormone (AKH) is a neuropeptide produced in the insect corpora cardiaca that plays an essential role in mobilising carbohydrates and lipids from the fat body to the haemolymph. AKH acts by binding to a rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), the adipokinetic hormone receptor (AKHR). In this study, we tackle AKH ligand and receptor gene evolution as well as the evolutionary origins of AKH gene paralogues from the order Blattodea (termites and cockroaches). Phylogenetic analyses of AKH precursor sequences point to an ancient AKH gene duplication event in the common ancestor of Blaberoidea, yielding a new group of putative decapeptides. In total, 16 different AKH peptides from 90 species were obtained. Two octapeptides and seven putatively novel decapeptides are predicted for the first time. AKH receptor sequences from 18 species, spanning solitary cockroaches and subsocial wood roaches as well as lower and higher termites, were subsequently acquired using classical molecular methods and in silico approaches employing transcriptomic data. Aligned AKHR open reading frames revealed 7 highly conserved transmembrane regions, a typical arrangement for GPCRs. Phylogenetic analyses based on AKHR sequences support accepted relationships among termite, subsocial (Cryptocercus spp.) and solitary cockroach lineages to a large extent, while putative post-translational modification sites do not greatly differ between solitary and subsocial roaches and social termites. Our study provides important information not only for AKH and AKHR functional research but also for further analyses interested in their development as potential candidates for biorational pest control agents against invasive termites and cockroaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixiong Jiang
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heather G Marco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Nina Scheich
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany
| | - Shulin He
- College of Life Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zongqing Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Dino P McMahon
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department for Materials and Environment, BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany
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Gäde G, Marco HG. The unique C-mannosylated hypertrehalosemic hormone of Carausius morosus: Identity, release, and biological activity. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023:e22016. [PMID: 37073494 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies had shown that the corpora cardiaca (CC) of the Indian stick insect, Carausius morosus, synthesizes two hypertrehalosemic hormones (HrTHs)-decapeptides which differ in the way that the chromatographically less-hydrophobic form, code-named Carmo-HrTH-I, is modified by an unique C-mannosylated tryptophan residue at position 8. The availability of milligram amounts of this modified peptide in synthetic form now makes it possible to study physico-chemical and physiological properties. This study revealed that the synthetic peptide co-elutes with the natural peptide from the CC chromatographically, is heat stable for at least 30 min at 100°C, and causes hyperlipemia in acceptor locusts (a heterologous bioassay) and hypertrehalosemia in ligated stick insects (conspecific bioassay). In vitro incubation of Carmo-HrTH-I together with stick insect hemolymph (a natural source of peptidases) demonstrated clearly via chromatographic separation that the C-mannosylated Trp bond is stable and is not broken down to Carmo-HrTH-II (the more-hydrophobic decapeptide with an unmodified Trp residue). This notwithstanding, breakdown of Carmo-HrTH-I did take place, and the half-life of the compound was calculated as about 5 min. Finally, the natural peptide is releasable when CC are treated in vitro with a depolarizing saline (high potassium concentration) suggesting its role as true HrTHs in the stick insect. In conclusion, the results indicate that Carmo-HrTH-I which is synthesized in the CC is released into the hemolymph, binds to a HrTH receptor in the fat body, activates the carbohydrate metabolism pathway and is quickly inactivated in the hemolymph by (an) as yet unknown peptidase(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Republic of South Africa
| | - Heather G Marco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Republic of South Africa
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Gäde G, Marco HG. The Adipokinetic Peptides of Hemiptera: Structure, Function, and Evolutionary Trends. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:891615. [PMID: 38468778 PMCID: PMC10926376 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.891615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The Hemiptera comprise the most species-rich order of the hemimetabolous insects. Members of a number of superfamilies, most notably especially the more basal ones such as white flies, psyllids and aphids, belong to the most destructive agricultural insects known worldwide. At the other end of the phylogenetic tree are hemipterans that are notorious medical pests (e.g. kissing bugs). Most of the hemipteran species are good flyers, and lipid oxidation plays a pivotal role to power the contraction of flight muscles and, in aquatic water bugs, also deliver the ATP for the extensive swimming action of the leg muscles. Mobilization of stored lipids (mostly triacylglycerols in the fat body) to circulating diacylglycerols in the hemolymph is regulated by a set of small neuropeptides, the adipokinetic hormones (AKHs). We searched the literature and publicly available databases of transcriptomes and genomes to present here AKH sequences from 191 hemipteran species. Only few of these peptides were sequenced via Edman degradation or mass spectrometry, and even fewer were characterized with molecular biology methods; thus, the majority of the AKHs we have identified by bioinformatics are merely predicted sequences at this stage. Nonetheless, a total of 42 AKH primary sequences are assigned to Hemiptera. About 50% of these structures occur also in other insect orders, while the remaining 50% are currently unique for Hemiptera. We find 9 novel AKHs not shown to be synthesized before in any insect. Most of the hemipteran AKHs are octapeptides (28) but there is an impressive number of decapeptides (12) compared to other speciose orders such as Diptera and Lepidoptera. We attempt to construct a hypothetical molecular peptide evolution of hemipteran AKHs and find quite a bit of overlapping with current phylogenetic ideas of the Hemiptera. Lastly, we discuss the possibility to use the sequence of the aphid AKH as lead peptide for the research into a peptide mimetic fulfilling criteria of a green insecticide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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Marco HG, Šimek P, Gäde G. Unique Members of the Adipokinetic Hormone Family in Butterflies and Moths (Insecta, Lepidoptera). Front Physiol 2020; 11:614552. [PMID: 33391031 PMCID: PMC7773649 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.614552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Lepidoptera is amongst one of the four most speciose insect orders and ecologically very successful because of their ability to fly. Insect flight is always aerobic and exacts a high metabolic demand on the animal. A family of structurally related neuropeptides, generically referred to as adipokinetic hormones (AKHs), play a key role in triggering the release of readily utilizable fuel metabolites into the hemolymph from the storage forms in the fat body. We used mass spectrometry to elucidate AKH sequences from 34 species of Lepidoptera and searched the literature and publicly available databases to compile (in a phylogenetic context) a comprehensive list of all Lepidoptera sequences published/predicted from a total of 76 species. We then used the resulting set of 15 biochemically characterized AKHs in a physiological assay that measures lipid or carbohydrate mobilization in three different lepidopteran species to learn about the functional cross-activity (receptor-ligand interactions) amongst the different butterfly/moth families. Our results include novel peptide structures, demonstrate structural diversity, phylogenetic trends in peptide distribution and order-specificity of Lepidoptera AKHs. There is almost an equal occurrence of octa-, nona-, and decapeptides, with an unparalleled emphasis on nonapeptides than in any insect order. Primitive species make Peram-CAH-II, an octapeptide found also in other orders; the lepidopteran signature peptide is Manse-AKH. Not all of the 15 tested AKHs are active in Pieris brassicae; this provides insight into structure-activity specificity and could be useful for further investigations into possible biorational insecticide development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather G. Marco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Petr Šimek
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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Gäde G, Šimek P, Marco HG. The Adipokinetic Peptides in Diptera: Structure, Function, and Evolutionary Trends. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:153. [PMID: 32296388 PMCID: PMC7136388 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nineteen species of various families of the order Diptera and one species from the order Mecoptera are investigated with mass spectrometry for the presence and primary structure of putative adipokinetic hormones (AKHs). Additionally, the peptide structure of putative AKHs in other Diptera are deduced from data mining of publicly available genomic or transcriptomic data. The study aims to demonstrate the structural biodiversity of AKHs in this insect order and also possible evolutionary trends. Sequence analysis of AKHs is achieved by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The corpora cardiaca of almost all dipteran species contain AKH octapeptides, a decapeptide is an exception found only in one species. In general, the dipteran AKHs are order-specific- they are not found in any other insect order with two exceptions only. Four novel AKHs are revealed by mass spectrometry: two in the basal infraorder of Tipulomorpha and two in the brachyceran family Syrphidae. Data mining revealed another four novel AKHs: one in various species of the infraorder Culicumorpha, one in the brachyceran superfamily Asiloidea, one in the family Diopsidae and in a Drosophilidae species, and the last of the novel AKHs is found in yet another Drosophila. In general, there is quite a biodiversity in the lower Diptera, whereas the majority of the cyclorraphan Brachycera produce the octapeptide Phote-HrTH. A hypothetical molecular peptide evolution of dipteran AKHs is suggested to start with an ancestral AKH, such as Glomo-AKH, from which all other AKHs in Diptera to date can evolve via point mutation of one of the base triplets, with one exception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Gäde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Petr Šimek
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceské Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Heather G. Marco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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