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Minos-insertion mutant of the Drosophila GBA gene homologue showed abnormal phenotypes of climbing ability, sleep and life span with accumulation of hydroxy-glucocerebroside. Gene 2017; 614:49-55. [PMID: 28286087 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Gaucher's disease in humans is considered a deficiency of glucocerebrosidase (GlcCerase) that result in the accumulation of its substrate, glucocerebroside (GlcCer). Although mouse models of Gaucher's disease have been reported from several laboratories, these models are limited due to the perinatal lethality of GlcCerase gene. Here, we examined phenotypes of Drosophila melanogaster homologues genes of the human Gaucher's disease gene by using Minos insertion. One of two Minos insertion mutants to unknown function gene (CG31414) accumulates the hydroxy-GlcCer in whole body of Drosophila melanogaster. This mutant showed abnormal phenotypes of climbing ability and sleep, and short lifespan. These abnormal phenotypes are very similar to that of Gaucher's disease in human. In contrast, another Minos insertion mutant (CG31148) and its RNAi line did not show such severe phenotype as observed in CG31414 gene mutation. The data suggests that Drosophila CG31414 gene mutation might be useful for unraveling the molecular mechanism of Gaucher's disease.
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Kim DH, Shin M, Jung SH, Kim YJ, Jones WD. A fat-derived metabolite regulates a peptidergic feeding circuit in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2000532. [PMID: 28350856 PMCID: PMC5369665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2000532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we show that the enzymatic cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) inhibits feeding in Drosophila. BH4 biosynthesis requires the sequential action of the conserved enzymes Punch, Purple, and Sepiapterin Reductase (Sptr). Although we observe increased feeding upon loss of Punch and Purple in the adult fat body, loss of Sptr must occur in the brain. We found Sptr expression is required in four adult neurons that express neuropeptide F (NPF), the fly homologue of the vertebrate appetite regulator neuropeptide Y (NPY). As expected, feeding flies BH4 rescues the loss of Punch and Purple in the fat body and the loss of Sptr in NPF neurons. Mechanistically, we found BH4 deficiency reduces NPF staining, likely by promoting its release, while excess BH4 increases NPF accumulation without altering its expression. We thus show that, because of its physically distributed biosynthesis, BH4 acts as a fat-derived signal that induces satiety by inhibiting the activity of the NPF neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Hyoung Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Minjung Shin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sung-Hwan Jung
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Young-Joon Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Walton D. Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
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Wang W, Li K, Wan P, Lai F, Fu Q, Zhu T. Ras-like family small GTPases genes in Nilaparvata lugens: Identification, phylogenetic analysis, gene expression and function in nymphal development. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172701. [PMID: 28241066 PMCID: PMC5328259 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Twenty-nine cDNAs encoding Ras-like family small GTPases (RSGs) were cloned and sequenced from Nilaparvata lugens. Twenty-eight proteins are described here: 3 from Rho, 2 from Ras, 9 from Arf and 14 from Rabs. These RSGs from N.lugens have five conserved G-loop motifs and displayed a higher degree of sequence conservation with orthologues from insects. RT-qPCR analysis revealed NlRSGs expressed at all life stages and the highest expression was observed in hemolymph, gut or wing for most of NlRSGs. RNAi demonstrated that eighteen NlRSGs play a crucial role in nymphal development. Nymphs with silenced NlRSGs failed to molt, eclosion or development arrest. The qRT-PCR analysis verified the correlation between mortality and the down-regulation of the target genes. The expression level of nuclear receptors, Kr-h1, Hr3, FTZ-F1 and E93 involved in 20E and JH signal pathway was impacted in nymphs with silenced twelve NlRSGs individually. The expression of two halloween genes, Cyp314a1 and Cyp315a1 involved in ecdysone synthesis, decreased in nymphs with silenced NlSar1 or NlArf1. Cyp307a1 increased in nymphs with silenced NlArf6. In N.lugens with silenced NlSRβ, NlSar1 and NlRab2 at 9th day individually, 0.0% eclosion rate and almost 100.0% mortality was demonstrated. Further analysis showed NlSRβ could be served as a candidate target for dsRNA-based pesticides for N.lugens control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kailong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pinjun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fengxiang Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (QF); (THZ)
| | - Tingheng Zhu
- College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (QF); (THZ)
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Garlapow ME, Huang W, Yarboro MT, Peterson KR, Mackay TFC. Quantitative Genetics of Food Intake in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138129. [PMID: 26375667 PMCID: PMC4574202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Food intake is an essential animal activity, regulated by neural circuits that motivate food localization, evaluate nutritional content and acceptance or rejection responses through the gustatory system, and regulate neuroendocrine feedback loops that maintain energy homeostasis. Excess food consumption in people is associated with obesity and metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. However, little is known about the genetic basis of natural variation in food consumption. To gain insights in evolutionarily conserved genetic principles that regulate food intake, we took advantage of a model system, Drosophila melanogaster, in which food intake, environmental conditions and genetic background can be controlled precisely. We quantified variation in food intake among 182 inbred, sequenced lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). We found significant genetic variation in the mean and within-line environmental variance of food consumption and observed sexual dimorphism and genetic variation in sexual dimorphism for both food intake traits (mean and variance). We performed genome wide association (GWA) analyses for mean food intake and environmental variance of food intake (using the coefficient of environmental variation, CVE, as the metric for environmental variance) and identified molecular polymorphisms associated with both traits. Validation experiments using RNAi-knockdown confirmed 24 of 31 (77%) candidate genes affecting food intake and/or variance of food intake, and a test cross between selected DGRP lines confirmed a SNP affecting mean food intake identified in the GWA analysis. The majority of the validated candidate genes were novel with respect to feeding behavior, and many had mammalian orthologs implicated in metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Garlapow
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695–7614, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
| | - Wen Huang
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695–7614, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Yarboro
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
| | - Kara R. Peterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
| | - Trudy F. C. Mackay
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695–7614, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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