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Yang F, Zhang Z, Hu B, Yu Y, Tan A. A CCCH zinc finger gene regulates doublesex alternative splicing and male development in Bombyx mori. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:1253-1261. [PMID: 33029871 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent identification of a Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA)-initiated sex determination cascade in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, provides novel insights into high diversity of insect sex determination pathways. In this system, the W-chromosome-derived Fem piRNA is the primary sex determination signal. A CCCH-type zinc finger gene Masculinizer (Masc), which is targeted by Fem piRNA-PIWI complex in female animals, is indispensable for male-specific splicing of B. mori doublesex (Bmdsx). Although many genes involved in this cascade have been identified, the regulatory mechanisms of silkworm sex determination remain to be elucidated. Here we show that another CCCH-type zinc finger gene, Bmznf-2, is a masculinization factor in B. mori. Bmznf-2 shows testis-abundant expression and loss of Bmznf-2 function via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats / single-guide RNA-mediated mutagenesis results in feminized differentiation and appearance of the female-specific splicing variants of Bmdsx transcripts in males. In contrast, there is no phenotypic consequence in mutant females. In mutant males, relative messenger RNA expression levels of female-dominant genes such as vitellogenin and sex-specific storage protein 1 are significantly elevated while several male-dominant genes are significantly down-regulated. Furthermore, male mutants show delayed developmental timing, smaller body sizes of larvae and malformation of moth wings. Our data thus reveal that Bmznf-2 plays an indispensable role in silkworm male sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangying Yang
- 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, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhongjie Zhang
- 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, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bo Hu
- 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, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ye Yu
- 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, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Anjiang Tan
- 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, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Zhou C, Yang XB, Yang H, Long GY, Jin DC. Effects of Sublethal Concentrations of Insecticides on the Fecundity of Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) via the Regulation of Vitellogenin and Its Receptor. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2020; 20:5917586. [PMID: 33009912 PMCID: PMC7583268 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
White-backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera, Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is an important migratory pest of rice. It causes severe economic losses by reducing crop production. Vg and VgR are important proteins that help in the successful reproduction of insects and have been studied in many insects. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of insecticides on white-backed planthopper reproduction, we studied the expression profiles of SfVg, SfVg-like, and SfVgR in white-backed planthopper exposed to insecticides. SfVg and SfVgR silencing inhibited the ovarian development, number of eggs laid by, and hatching rate of white-backed planthopper. Thiamethoxam LC10 significantly inhibited SfVg-like and SfVgR expression. In contrast, triazophos LC25 significantly promoted SfVg, SfVg-like, and SfVgR expression and increased vitellogenin content in white-backed planthopper. These results demonstrate that insecticides can regulate the reproduction of white-backed planthopper by altering the expression of SfVg and SfVgR, thereby affecting the population density of white-backed planthopper. These findings build a foundation for improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of insecticides on the reproduction and resurgence of pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cao Zhou
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University and Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Regions, Guiyang, China
| | - Xi-bin Yang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University and Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Regions, Guiyang, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University and Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Regions, Guiyang, China
- College of Tobacco Science of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Gui-yun Long
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University and Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Regions, Guiyang, China
| | - Dao-chao Jin
- Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University and Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of Mountainous Regions, Guiyang, China
- Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop Pest in Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture, Guiyang, China
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Li X, Liu Q, Liu H, Bi H, Wang Y, Chen X, Wu N, Xu J, Zhang Z, Huang Y, Chen H. Mutation of doublesex in Hyphantria cunea results in sex-specific sterility. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2020; 76:1673-1682. [PMID: 31749278 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gene doublesex (dsx) plays pivotal roles in sex determination and controls sexually dimorphic development in certain insects. Importantly, it also displays a potential candidate target for pest management due to its sex-specific splicing. Therefore, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene disruption to investigate the function of dsx in Hyphantria cunea, an invasive forest pest. RESULT In the present study, we identified the dsx gene from H. cunea which showed a sex-biased expression pattern that was different from other lepidopteran insects. Referring to sex-specific functional analyses in Bombyx mori, we performed a site-specific knockout of the Hcdsx gene by using a CRISPR/Cas9 system, which induced severe abnormalities in external genitalia and some incomplete sex reversal phenotypes, which in turn led to reduced sex-specific fecundity. An alternative splicing pattern of Hcdsx was altered by CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutation, and alterations in splicing affected expression of downstream genes encoding pheromone binding protein 1, vg1 and vg2 (encoding vitellogenin), which contributed to the sex-specific sterility phenotypes in the Hcdsx mutants. CONCLUSION The Hcdsx gene plays important roles in sexual differentiation in H. cunea. Disruption of Hcdsx induced sex-specific sterility, demonstrating a potential application in control of this pest. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Li
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Huihui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, State Forestry Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Honglun Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaohui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xien Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningning Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, State Forestry Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Yongping Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Chen
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Shen Y, Chen YZ, Lou YH, Zhang CX. Vitellogenin and Vitellogenin-Like Genes in the Brown Planthopper. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1181. [PMID: 31620015 PMCID: PMC6759490 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg) is precursor of vitellin. Here, we identified a Vg (NlVg) and two Vg-likes (NlVg-like1 and NlVg-like2) in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens. Phylogenetic analyses showed that NlVg-like1 and NlVg-like2 are not clustered with the conventional insect Vgs associated with vitellogenesis. Temporo-spatial expression analyses showed that the NlVg and NlVg-like2 transcript levels increased significantly 24 h after emergence and were primarily expressed in female adults. However, NlVg-like1 was expressed during all stages, and in both genders. Tissue-specific analyses showed that all three genes were most highly expressed in the fat body. The injection of double-stranded RNA targeting NlVg showed that NlVg is essential not only for oocyte development but also for nymph development. The knockdown of NlVg-like1 in female adults resulted in failure to hatch or death before eggshell emergence in 18% of offspring embryos, suggesting that NlVg-like1 plays an important role during late embryogenesis. Approximately 65% of eggs laid by females that were treated with double-stranded RNA targeting NlVg-like2 failed to hatch, indicating that NlVg-like2 plays a role in nutrition absorption during oocyte, or embryonic development. Our results illustrate the structural and functional differences among the Vg and Vg-like genes and provide potential targets for RNA-interference-based insect pest management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Zhi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Han Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chuan-Xi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Shen G, Wu J, Han C, Liu H, Xu Y, Zhang H, Lin Y, Xia Q. Oestrogen-related receptor reduces vitellogenin expression by crosstalk with the ecdysone receptor pathway in female silkworm, Bombyx mori. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 27:454-463. [PMID: 29603466 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Oestrogen-related receptor (ERR) is involved in oestrogen receptor (ER) signalling pathways owing to its similarity to ER in terms of domain structure and co-activator and response elements. Although insects lack ER, they harbour an ERR gene that is thought to modulate metabolism and energy conversion via an unknown mechanism. The present study investigated the function of ERR in insects using female silkworm (Bombyx mori, Bm). We found that the expression of B. mori vitellogenin (BmVg) and B. mori ERR (BmERR) in the fat bodies of female silkworms at different stages of development exhibited alternating patterns, and RNA interference of BmERR in females induced BmVg transcription, resulting in an increase in egg weight relative to the control. Furthermore, BmERR was found to be involved in regulating the transcription of BmVg through an oestrogen-related receptor response element (ERRE) in the promoter of the BmVg gene, as demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, cell transfection assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. In summary, our results indicate that BmERR bound to the ERRE motif in the BmVg promoter reducing the expression of BmVg in the fat body of the female silkworm. To our surprise, the ERRE also showed the ability to bind the ecdysone receptor (BmEcR) and ultraspiracle complex. Thus, we surmise that ERR participates in steroid hormone signalling by engaging in crosstalk with the ER pathway in vertebrates and with the EcR pathway in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing, China
| | - J Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - C Han
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - H Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Y Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - H Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Y Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing, China
| | - Q Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing, China
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Wu H, Jiang FZ, Guo JX, Yi JQ, Liu JB, Cao YS, Lai XS, Zhang GR. Molecular Characterization and Expression of Vitellogenin and Vitellogenin Receptor of Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), an Insect on the Tibetan Plateau. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2018; 18:4924664. [PMID: 29718485 PMCID: PMC5842397 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) play important roles in the vitellogenesis of insects. In this study, we cloned and characterized the two corresponding genes (TpVg and TpVgR) in an economically important insect, Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), from the Tibetan plateau. The full length of TpVg is 5566 bp with a 5373 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1,790 amino acids. Sequence alignment revealed that TpVg has three conserved domains: a Vitellogenin_N domain, a DUF1943 domain, and a von Willebrand factor type D domain (VWD). The full length of TpVgR is 5732 bp, with a 5397 bp ORF encoding 1798 amino acids. BLASTP showed that TpVgR belongs to the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene superfamily. Structural analysis revealed that TpVgR has a group of four structural domains: a ligand-binding domain (LBD), an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-precursor homology domain, a transmembrane (TM) domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. In addition, TpVgR has four cysteine-rich LDL repeats in the first ligand-binding site and seven in the second. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression levels of TpVg and TpVgR are much higher in later pupa than in either the larval or adult stage, implying that the synthesis and uptake of Vg in T. pui occurs in the later pupal stage. These results will help us to understand the molecular mechanism of the reproductive capacity and will provide new insight into the mass rearing and utilization of T. pui.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng-Ze Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ji-Xing Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie-Qun Yi
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying-Shuai Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue-Shuang Lai
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gu-Ren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol and Institute of Entomology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
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Sun Y, Xiao L, Cao G, Zhang Y, Xiao Y, Xu G, Zhao J, Tan Y, Bai L. Molecular characterisation of the vitellogenin gene (AlVg) and its expression after Apolygus lucorum had fed on different hosts. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2016; 72:1743-1751. [PMID: 26663893 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The polyphagous pest Apolygus lucorum is now the dominant pest of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in China. In this study, the transcriptional and translational profiles of AlVg influenced by different hosts were identified, and then the correlations between AlVg gene or AlVg protein expression and key population proliferation parameters of A. lucorum were further clarified. RESULTS AlVg or AlVg expression can be significantly regulated by different host nutrients (P < 0.05). AlVg or AlVg expression was significantly higher in A. lucorum reared on Bt and conventional cotton than in A. lucorum reared on garland chrysanthemum and broad bean (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between AlVg or AlVg expression in A. lucorum reared on Bt and conventional cotton (P > 0.05). In addition, there were significant linear regression correlations between AlVg or AlVg expression and total mortality rate of nymphs, female lifespan, per female fecundity and egg hatching rates (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our results confirm that AlVg or AlVg is the key parameter affecting female fertility of A. lucorum. AlVg and AlVg expression can be influenced by different host nutrients except for Bt toxin. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sun
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liubin Xiao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangchun Cao
- Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongjun Zhang
- Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingfang Xiao
- Entomology and Nematology, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Apopka, FL, USA
| | - Guangchun Xu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongan Tan
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Lixin Bai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
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8
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Sakai H, Sumitani M, Chikami Y, Yahata K, Uchino K, Kiuchi T, Katsuma S, Aoki F, Sezutsu H, Suzuki MG. Transgenic Expression of the piRNA-Resistant Masculinizer Gene Induces Female-Specific Lethality and Partial Female-to-Male Sex Reversal in the Silkworm, Bombyx mori. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006203. [PMID: 27579676 PMCID: PMC5007099 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Bombyx mori (B. mori), Fem piRNA originates from the W chromosome and is responsible for femaleness. The Fem piRNA-PIWI complex targets and cleaves mRNAs transcribed from the Masc gene. Masc encodes a novel CCCH type zinc-finger protein and is required for male-specific splicing of B. mori doublesex (Bmdsx) transcripts. In the present study, several silkworm strains carrying a transgene, which encodes a Fem piRNA-resistant Masc mRNA (Masc-R), were generated. Forced expression of the Masc-R transgene caused female-specific lethality during the larval stages. One of the Masc-R strains weakly expressed Masc-R in various tissues. Females heterozygous for the transgene expressed male-specific isoform of the Bombyx homolog of insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein (ImpM) and Bmdsx. All examined females showed a lower inducibility of vitellogenin synthesis and exhibited abnormalities in the ovaries. Testis-like tissues were observed in abnormal ovaries and, notably, the tissues contained considerable numbers of sperm bundles. Homozygous expression of the transgene resulted in formation of the male-specific abdominal segment in adult females and caused partial male differentiation in female genitalia. These results strongly suggest that Masc is an important regulatory gene of maleness in B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Sakai
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Megumi Sumitani
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Chikami
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Kensuke Yahata
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Keiro Uchino
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Takashi Kiuchi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Susumu Katsuma
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Fugaku Aoki
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Hideki Sezutsu
- Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Masataka G. Suzuki
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
- * E-mail:
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9
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Molecular characterization and expression of vitellogenin gene from Spodoptera exigua exposed to cadmium stress. Gene 2016; 593:179-184. [PMID: 27535723 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we cloned a full-length cDNA encoding vitellogenin (Vg) in Spodoptera exigua. The complete Vg cDNA consists of 5694 nucleotides with a long open reading frame encoding 1761 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence shared high similarity with the Vgs of other lepidopteran insects, particularly in the C-terminal region including the GL/ICG motif, five cysteine residues and DGXR motif. We analyzed the spatiotemporal expression of Vg transcripts in S. exigua by RT-PCR and Real-time Quantitative PCR. The results revealed that Vg was expressed specifically in the female fat body and was detectable after 5th day female pupae. The maximum level of Vg mRNA appeared in 48-h-old female adults and started to decrease quickly. When exposed to cadmium (Cd) (25-100mg/kg), there was a significantly decreased Vg level in female adults. The information presented in this study suggested the Vg in S. exigua could be significantly affected by Cd pressure.
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Liu C, Mao J, Zeng F. Chrysopa septempunctata (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) Vitellogenin Functions Through Effects on Egg Production and Hatching. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 108:2779-2788. [PMID: 26470375 DOI: 10.1093/jee/tov229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg) is a precursor of major egg storage protein, vitellin (Vt), and plays primary roles in reproduction of oviparous vertebrates and invertebrates. Chrysopa septempunctata Wesmael is an important and common predator of various insect pests. Here, we first cloned C. septempunctata Vg gene, CsVg. The complete CsVg cDNA was 5664 bp, which encodes an 1810-residues protein with a predicted molecular mass of 206.23 kDa. Expression profile revealed that CsVg mRNA first appeared on day 4 after emergence, maximally accumulated on day 10, and then declined gradually. RNAi mediated by injection of dsRNA depleted CsVg transcripts, significantly reduced egg-laying amount, and decreased egg hatching rate, suggesting that CsVg functions through effects on egg production and hatching in C. septempunctata.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Food Crops Institute, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China. Both authors contributed equally to this work
| | - J Mao
- Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Both authors contributed equally to this work
| | - F Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
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Xu J, Wang YQ, Li ZQ, Ling L, Zeng BS, You L, Chen YZ, Aslam AFM, Huang YP, Tan AJ. Functional characterization of the vitellogenin promoter in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 23:550-557. [PMID: 24828437 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Genetic transformation and genome editing technologies have been successfully established in the lepidopteran insect model, the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, providing great potential for functional genomics and practical applications. However, the current lack of cis-regulatory elements in B. mori gene manipulation research limits further exploitation in functional gene analysis. In the present study, we characterized a B. mori endogenous promoter, Bmvgp, which is a 798-bp DNA sequence adjacent to the 5'-end of the vitellogenin gene (Bmvg). PiggyBac-based transgenic analysis shows that Bmvgp precisely directs expression of a reporter gene, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), in a sex-, tissue- and stage-specific manner. In transgenic animals, EGFP expression can be detected in the female fat body from larval-pupal ecdysis to the following pupal and adult stage. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that EGFP expression can be activated by 20-hydroxyecdysone, which is consistent with endogenous Bmvg expression. These data indicate that Bmvgp is an effective endogenous cis-regulatory element in B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Xu
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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12
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Morandin C, Havukainen H, Kulmuni J, Dhaygude K, Trontti K, Helanterä H. Not only for egg yolk--functional and evolutionary insights from expression, selection, and structural analyses of Formica ant vitellogenins. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 31:2181-93. [PMID: 24895411 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg), a storage protein, has been extensively studied for its egg-yolk precursor role, and it has been suggested to be fundamentally involved in caste differences in social insects. More than one Vg copy has been reported in several oviparous species, including ants. However, the number and function of different Vgs, their phylogenetic relatedness, and their role in reproductive queens and nonreproductive workers have been studied in few species only. We studied caste-biased expression of Vgs in seven Formica ant species. Only one copy of conventional Vg was identified in Formica species, and three Vg homologs, derived from ancient duplications, which represent yet undiscovered Vg-like genes. We show that each of these Vg-like genes is present in all studied Hymenoptera and some of them in other insects as well. We show that after each major duplication event, at least one of the Vg-like genes has experienced a period of positive selection. This, combined with the observation that the Vg-like genes have acquired or lost specific protein domains suggests sub- or neofunctionalization between Vg and the duplicated genes. In contrast to earlier studies, Vg was not consistently queen biased in its expression, and the caste bias of the three Vg-like genes was highly variable among species. Furthermore, a truncated and Hymenoptera-specific Vg-like gene, Vg-like-C, was consistently worker biased. Multispecies comparisons are essential for Vg expression studies, and for gene expression studies in general, as we show that expression and also, putative functions cannot be generalized even among closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Morandin
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandTvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heli Havukainen
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Jonna Kulmuni
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Biology and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Kishor Dhaygude
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandTvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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13
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Singh NK, Pakkianathan BC, Kumar M, Prasad T, Kannan M, König S, Krishnan M. Vitellogenin from the silkworm, Bombyx mori: an effective anti-bacterial agent. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73005. [PMID: 24058454 PMCID: PMC3772815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Silkworm, Bombyx mori, vitellogenin (Vg) was isolated from perivisceral fat body of day 3 of pupa. Both Vg subunits were co-purified as verified by mass spectrometry and immunoblot. Purified Vg responded to specific tests for major posttranslational modifications on native gels indicating its nature as lipo-glyco-phosphoprotein. The Vg fraction had strong antibacterial activity against Gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli and Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Microscopic images showed binding of Vg to bacterial cells and their destruction. When infected silkworm larvae were treated with purified Vg they survived the full life cycle in contrast to untreated animals. This result showed that Vg has the ability to inhibit the proliferation of bacteria in the silkworm fluid system without disturbing the regular metabolism of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Kumar Singh
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | | | - Manish Kumar
- Advanced Instrumentation Research Facility, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Tulika Prasad
- Advanced Instrumentation Research Facility, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Mani Kannan
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - Simone König
- Integrated Functional Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Muthukalingan Krishnan
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
- * E-mail:
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14
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Shu Y, Zhou J, Tang W, Lu K, Zhou Q, Zhang G. Molecular characterization and expression pattern of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) vitellogenin, and its response to lead stress. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2009; 55:608-616. [PMID: 19482134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2008] [Revised: 03/06/2009] [Accepted: 03/09/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg) cDNA from Spodoptera litura Fabricius was cloned and sequenced. The open reading frame (ORF) of Vg cDNA was 5247 nucleotides in length (GenBank Accession no. EU095334), which encoded for a protein of 1748 amino acids. S. litura Vg comprised three conserved regions (Vitellogenin-N domain, DUF1943 and von Willebrand factor type D domain (VWD)), a 17 amino-acid signal peptide and a RXXR cleavage signal (RTIR). The highly conserved GL/ICG motif, the DGXR motif and cysteine residues were found in the C-terminus of the Vg. Vg mRNA was found specifically in the female fat body. Vg expression was first transcribed in 6th day female pupae and levels increased with insect development. The maximum level of Vg mRNA appeared in 24-h-old adults. When S. litura larvae were exposed to lead (Pb) (25-200 mg Pb/kg), there was a significant inhibition in Vg of female adults. The start of Vg expression was advanced ahead by Pb, from 6th day pupae to 3rd day or 4th day pupae. Low levels of Vg in male adults were also induced by low concentrations of Pb (12.5 and 25 mg Pb/kg). These data show that Pb stress elicits an important Vg response in S. litura.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Biological Control and Institute of Entomology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
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15
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Tufail M, Takeda M. Molecular characteristics of insect vitellogenins. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2008; 54:1447-1458. [PMID: 18789336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2008] [Revised: 08/14/2008] [Accepted: 08/14/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenins (Vgs) are precursors of the major egg storage protein, vitellin (Vn), in many oviparous animals. Insects Vgs are large molecules ( approximately 200-kD) synthesized in the fat body in a process that involves substantial structural modifications (e.g., glycosylation, lipidation, phosphorylation, and proteolytic cleavage, etc.) of the nascent protein prior to its secretion and transport to the ovaries. However, the extent to which Vgs are processed in the fat body varies greatly among different insect groups. We provide evidence by cloning and peptide mapping of four Vg molecules from two cockroach species (Periplaneta americana and Leucophaea maderae) that, in hemimetabolous insects, the pro-Vg is cleaved into several polypeptides (ranging from 50-to 180-kD), unlike the holometabolans where the Vg precursor is cleaved into two polypeptides (one large and one small). An exception is the Vg of Apocrita (higher Hymenoptera) where the Vg gene product remains uncleaved. The yolk proteins (YPs) of higher Diptera (such as Drosophila) form a different family of proteins and are also not cleaved. So far, Vgs have been sequenced from 25 insect species; 9 of them belong to Hemimetabola and 16 to Holometabola. Alignment of the coding sequences revealed that some features, like the GL/ICG motif, cysteine residues, and a DGXR motif upstream of the GLI/CG motif, were highly conserved near the carboxy terminal of all insect Vgs. Moreover, a consensus RXXR cleavage sequence motif exists at the N-terminus of all sequences outside the Apocrita except for Lymantria dispar where it exists at the C-terminus. Phylogenetic analysis using 31 Vg sequences from 25 insect species reflects, in general, the current phylogenies of insects, suggesting that Vgs are still phylogenetically bound, although a divergence exists among them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Tufail
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
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16
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Guidugli KR, Piulachs MD, Bellés X, Lourenço AP, Simões ZLP. Vitellogenin expression in queen ovaries and in larvae of both sexes of Apis mellifera. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2005; 59:211-8. [PMID: 16034983 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In the honeybee, Apis mellifera, vitellogenin (Vg) expression has been detected in the ovary of queens, but not in that of workers. In addition, larvae of both sexes produce Vg in significant amounts, which suggest that Vg serves for functions additional to oocyte growth and energy supply to the embryo. In vivo hormone treatment experiments suggest that the decrease of 20-hydroxyecdysone concentration occurring in previtellogenic phases allows Vg production. Southern analysis indicates that the Vg gene is present as a single copy in the honeybee genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina R Guidugli
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brasil
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17
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Tsutsui N, Saido-Sakanaka H, Yang WJ, Jayasankar V, Jasmani S, Okuno A, Ohira T, Okumura T, Aida K, Wilder MN. Molecular characterization of a cDNA encoding vitellogenin in the coonstriped shrimp, Pandalus hypsinotus and site of vitellogenin mRNA expression. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 301:802-14. [PMID: 15449343 DOI: 10.1002/jez.a.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In order to determine the primary structure of vitellogenin in a protandric species, the coonstriped shrimp Pandalus hypsinotus, we previously purified four vitellin components (designated as VnA, VnB, VnC, and VnD, respectively), and chemically analyzed their partial amino acid sequences. In this study, we subsequently cloned a cDNA encoding vitellogenin in this species based on the N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of VnA, as well as the N-terminal sequence of VnC. The open reading frame of this cDNA encoded a pro-vitellogenin in which vitellins were arranged as follows: NH2-VnA-VnB-VnC/D-COOH. The deduced amino acid sequence possessed a single consensus cleavage sequence, R-X-K/R-R, along the lines of vitellogenins reported in other crustaceans and insects, and the N-terminal sequence of VnB was immediately preceded by this sequence. The comparison of primary structures revealed the existence of a basic and characteristic structure for the vitellogenin molecule in decapod crustacean species, and phylogenetic analysis reflected the current taxonomic classifications of Crustacea. An approximately 8 kb-long transcript of the vitellogenin gene was detected in the hepatopancreas of female shrimps having a gonadosomatic index higher than 1.0 by Northern blot analysis, but was not observed in the hepatopancreas and gonads of male shrimps and the hepatopancreas of female shrimps having a gonadosomatic index lower than 1.0. These results indicate that the hepatopancreas is responsible for vitellogenin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoaki Tsutsui
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686
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18
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Hens K, Lemey P, Macours N, Francis C, Huybrechts R. Cyclorraphan yolk proteins and lepidopteran minor yolk proteins originate from two unrelated lipase families. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2004; 13:615-623. [PMID: 15606810 DOI: 10.1111/j.0962-1075.2004.00520.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenins, cyclorraphan yolk proteins and lepidopteran minor yolk proteins are three classes of female-specific proteins that serve as an embryonic nutritional store. Similarity to vertebrate lipid-binding proteins was established for vitellogenins and yolk proteins, vitellogenins being related to apolipoprotein B and yolk proteins to lipases. Recently, similarity between yolk proteins and minor yolk proteins was reported and it was suggested that yolk proteins are more related to minor yolk proteins than to vertebrate lipases. In this study, we cloned five additional yolk proteins from the grey fleshfly Neobellieria bullata, formerly known as Sarcophaga bullata. We used this sequence data, combined with sequence data retrieved from the NCBI protein database to evaluate the yolk protein-lipase and the yolk protein-minor yolk protein relationship. We found no similarity between yolk proteins and minor yolk proteins, but we showed that yolk proteins are related to a family of lipases containing vertebrate hepatic and pancreatic lipases while minor yolk proteins are related to a family of lipases containing vertebrate gastric and lingual lipases. The fact that three different classes of yolk storage proteins show similarity to three different classes of vertebrate lipid-binding proteins strongly suggests that this lipid-binding feature is important for insect yolk storage proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hens
- Department of Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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19
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Hens K, Macours N, Claeys I, Francis C, Huybrechts R. Cloning and expression of the yolk protein of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2004; 34:1281-1287. [PMID: 15544941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2004.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2004] [Accepted: 08/30/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Two major families of nutritional proteins exist in insects, namely the vitellogenins and the yolk proteins. While in other insects only vitellogenins are found, cyclorraphan flies only contain yolk proteins. Possible sites of yolk protein synthesis are the fat body and the follicle cells surrounding the oocyte. We report the cloning of the yolk protein of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans, a species with adenotrophic viviparity. The tsetse fly yolk protein could be aligned with other dipteran yolk proteins and with some vertebrate lipases. In contrast to the situation in most fly species, only a single yolk protein gene was found in the tsetse fly. Northern blot analysis showed that only the ovarian follicle cells, and not the fat body represents the site of yolk protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korneel Hens
- Department of Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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20
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Donnell DM. Vitellogenin of the parasitoid wasp, Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae): gene organization and differential use by members of the genus. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2004; 34:951-961. [PMID: 15350614 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2004.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2004] [Accepted: 06/15/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The vitellogenin (Vg) gene of the parasitoid wasp, Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), has been cloned and sequenced. The gene codes for a protein consisting of 1814 amino acids in seven exons. The position of the six introns in the E. formosa gene align with those inferred for the Vg gene of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. The position of two introns in the hymenopteran sequences are shared with every full-length insect Vg gene characterized to date. The deduced amino acid sequence of the E. formosa Vg gene most closely resembles that of the ichneumonid parasitoid, Pimpla nipponica (38% identity). The gene product, less the putative signal peptide, contains large quantities of serine (11.3% of total residues) but lacks the extensive polyserine tracts found in the Vgs of insects outside the apocritan Hymenoptera. The gene also codes for the highest level of lysine (9.5%), and lowest levels of phenylalanine (2.6%) and tyrosine (2.3%), observed in any insect Vg characterized to date. The mature gene product retains 12 cysteine residues in positions conserved in other insect Vgs. Ovary homogenates suggest that processed Vg is stored in the egg as an uncleaved molecule of approximately 200 kDa. Vg expression was examined in three additional Encarsia species. The protein was found in female E. sophia and E. luteola, but not in male E. luteola or female E. pergandiella. Despite extensive screening of a phage library prepared from E. pergandiella genomic DNA, a Vg gene was not detected in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Donnell
- Interdisciplinary Program in Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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21
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Cheon HM, Kim HJ, Yun CY, Lee HJ, Lee IH, Shirk PD, Seo SJ. Fat body expressed yolk protein genes in Hyphantria cunea are related to the YP4 follicular epithelium yolk protein subunit gene of pyralid moths. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2003; 12:383-392. [PMID: 12864918 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2583.2003.00422.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
cDNA clones for two of the yolk proteins, YP1 and YP2, produced by the fat body of the moth, Hyphantria cunea, were sequenced and found to be homologous to the follicular epithelium yolk proteins of pyralid moths. Both cDNA clones coded for polypeptides of 290 residues and the deduced amino acid sequence identity between YP1 and YP2 was very high (79.0%). Analysis of the secondary structure of the predicted polypeptides suggests that YP1 and YP2 do not form heteromeric proteins because of differences in secondary structure due to the lack of alpha helices in YP1. Northern blot analysis showed that the transcripts for YP1 (1.2 kb) and YP2 (1.1 kb) were present primarily in the female fat body with only trace levels detectable in the ovary of the adult female. In a developmental study, the YP1 and YP2 transcripts were first detectable in 10-day-old pupae and increased into the adult stage. These results suggest that the YP1 and YP2 genes in H. cunea have been recruited to replace the vitellogenin gene as the primary source of yolk proteins. During this process they have acquired a modified pattern of expression that is different from homologous genes reported in pyralid moths. The assessment of the evolution of proteinaceous yolk in these moths should serve as an excellent model for the evolution of gene recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Cheon
- Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea
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22
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Piulachs MD, Guidugli KR, Barchuk AR, Cruz J, Simões ZLP, Bellés X. The vitellogenin of the honey bee, Apis mellifera: structural analysis of the cDNA and expression studies. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2003; 33:459-465. [PMID: 12650694 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(03)00021-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The cDNA of Apis mellifera vitellogenin was cloned and sequenced. It is 5440 bp long and contains an ORF of 1770 amino acids (including a putative signal peptide of 16 residues). The deduced amino acid sequence shows significant similarity with other hymenopteran vitellogenins (58% with Pimpla nipponica and 54% with Athalia rosae). The alignment with 19 insect vitellogenins shows a high number of conserved motifs; for example, close to the C-terminus there is a GL/ICG motif followed by nine cysteines, as occurs in all hymenopteran species, and, as in other insect vitellogenins, a DGXR motif is located 18 residues upstream the GL/ICG motif. Phylogenetic analysis of vitellogenin sequences available in insects gave a tree that is congruent with the currently accepted insect phylogenetic schemes. Using two fragments of the vitellogenin cDNA as probes, we analyzed by Northern blot the sex- and caste-specific patterns of vitellogenin expression in pupae and adults of A. mellifera. In queens, vitellogenin mRNA was first detected in mid-late pupal stage, whereas in workers it was first detected in late pupal stage. Vitellogenin mRNA was also observed in drones, although it was first detected not in pupae but in freshly molted adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Piulachs
- Department of Physiology and Molecular Biodiversity, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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23
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TSENG DENGYU, CHEN YINGNAN, LIU KUANFU, KOU GUANGHSIUNG, LO CHUFANG, KUO CHINGMING. Hepatopancreas and ovary are sites of vitellogenin synthesis as determined from partial cDNA encoding of vitellogenin in the marine shrimp,Penaeus vannamei. INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 2002. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.2002.9652770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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24
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Toshima Y, Kawasaki K. Behavior of silkworm yolk protein on phospholipid membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2002; 1564:375-83. [PMID: 12175920 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(02)00473-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
During early development, the plasma membrane of silkworm (Bombyx mori) eggs undergoes a superficial cleavage that separates the blastodermal protoplasm and the yolk. To test whether the blastoderm absorbs yolk through the plasma membrane in B. mori, we studied the interaction of phospholipid membranes and yolk using a phospholipid planar bilayer membrane (PBM) and liposomes. In addition, egg-specific protein (ESP; 225 kDa), a yolk protein that is specific to B. mori eggs, was collected by fractionating the eggs. Liposomes were mixed with either B. mori yolk or ESP, and observed under an electron microscope. This showed that the phospholipid membrane was spanned by fine particles 10-20 nm in diameter. Both yolk and ESP caused the PBM to become extraordinarily leaky, with a membrane potential of -70 mV for yolk and -198 mV for ESP. These results suggest that although it is a water-soluble protein, ESP permeates the phospholipid membrane without the help of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Toshima
- Insect Biomaterial and Technology Department, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2 Oowashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan.
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25
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Silva-Neto MAC, Fialho E, Paes MC, Oliveira PL, Masuda H. Cyclic nucleotide-independent phosphorylation of vitellin by casein kinase II purified from Rhodnius prolixus oocytes. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2002; 32:847-857. [PMID: 12110292 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(01)00173-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In this study we show that Vitellin (VT) phosphorylation in chorionated oocytes of Rhodnius prolixus is completely inhibited by heparin (10 microg/ml), a classical casein kinase II (CK II) inhibitor. VT phosphorylation is not affected by modulators of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases such as c-AMP (10 microM), H-8 (1 microM) and H-89 (0.1 microM). We have obtained a 3000-fold VT-free enriched preparation of CK II. Autophosphorylation of this enzyme preparation in the presence of (32)P-ATP demonstrated that it lacks any endogenous substrates. Rhodnius CK II is strongly inhibited by heparin (Ki = 9 nM) and uses ATP (Km = 36 microM) or GTP (Km = 86 microM) as phosphate donors. Incubation of VT with purified Rhodnius CK II and (32)P-ATP led to the incorporation of 2 mols of phosphate/mol VT. However, the total number of phosphorylation sites available can be altered by previous incubation of VT with alkaline phosphatase. These data show that an insect yolk protein contain phosphorylation sites for a cyclic nucleotide-independent protein kinase such as CK II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário A C Silva-Neto
- Departamento de Bioquímica Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-590, Brazil.
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26
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Maruta K, Yoshiga T, Katagiri C, Ochiai M, Tojo S. Purification and characterization of biliverdin-binding vitellogenin from the hemolymph of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2002; 50:97-106. [PMID: 12173294 DOI: 10.1002/arch.10035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Biliverdin-binding vitellogenin (Vg) was purified from adult female hemolymph of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, by using gel filtration and ion exchange chromatographies. The molecular mass of the protein was 490 kDa and it was composed of two 188-kDa subunits. Three internal amino acid sequences obtained by digestion of the protein with lysylendopeptidase showed high similarity to those of Bombyx mori Vg, supporting the purified blue protein to be vitellogenin. latroscan analyses demonstrated the presence of biliverdin in Vg that occupied 2.4% of total lipid components. Among the lipids of Vg (9.5 micrograms total lipids per 100 micrograms protein), diacylglycerol was the most predominant, followed by phospholipid, hydrocarbons, and then triacylglycerol, while in biliverdin-binding proteins (BPs) purified from larval hemolymph (3.1 micrograms total lipids per 100 micrograms protein), phospholipid was the most abundant lipid followed by diacylglycerol; hydrocarbons and triacylglycerol were minor components. Vg was first detected in the hemolymph of female pupae one day before eclosion, but injection of 5 micrograms of methoprene into a 3-day-old pupa induced Vg in the hemolymph 4 days earlier than in the control. Methoprene also induced a faster decline in BP-A and BP-B titers in the hemolymph with a corresponding increase of the Vg titer. These results suggest that juvenile hormone (JH) induces not only vitellogenesis but also the uptake of these proteins by stimulating the metamorphosis of fat body during the pupal stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kousei Maruta
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga, Japan
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27
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Okuno A, Yang WJ, Jayasankar V, Saido-Sakanaka H, Huong DTT, Jasmani S, Atmomarsono M, Subramoniam T, Tsutsui N, Ohira T, Kawazoe I, Aida K, Wilder MN. Deduced primary structure of vitellogenin in the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and yolk processing during ovarian maturation. THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY 2002; 292:417-29. [PMID: 11857476 DOI: 10.1002/jez.10083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A cDNA encoding vitellogenin (Vg) in the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, was cloned based on the cDNA sequence of vitellin (Vn) fragments A-N and B-42 determined previously, and its amino acid sequence deduced. The open reading frame (ORF) encoded 2,537 amino acid residues and its deduced amino acid sequence possessed three consensus cleavage sites, R-X-R-R, similar to those reported in Vgs of insects. The deduced primary structure of Vg in M. rosenbergii was seen to be similar to that of Penaeus japonicus, especially in the N-terminal region. It is therefore likely that Vgs in crustacean species including prawns and other related decapods exhibit a similar structural pattern. Based on the deduced primary structure of Vg and analysis of the various Vg and Vn subunits found in the hemolymph and ovary during ovarian maturation, we demonstrated the post-translational processing of Vg in M. rosenbergii. This is the first time that Vg processing has been clearly demonstrated in a crustacean species. Vg, after being synthesized in the hepatopancreas, is considered to be cleaved by a subtilisin-like endoprotease to form two subunits, A and proB, which are then released into the hemolymph. In the hemolymph, proB is possibly cleaved by a processing enzyme of unknown identity to give rise to subunits B and C/D. The three processed subunits A, B, and C/D are sequestered by the ovary to give rise to three yolk proteins, Macr-VnA, VnB, and VnC/D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuro Okuno
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan
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28
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Tseng DY, Chen YN, Kou GH, Lo CF, Kuo CM. Hepatopancreas is the extraovarian site of vitellogenin synthesis in black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2001; 129:909-17. [PMID: 11440876 DOI: 10.1016/s1095-6433(01)00355-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The site of yolk protein synthesis in crustaceans has long been a subject of controversy. The vitellogenin gene structure was partially reported only very recently in Macrobrachium rosenbergii, after which the hepatopancreas was confirmed as the extraovarian site of vitellogenin synthesis in that species. Ovaries are the most frequently reported as the site of yolk protein synthesis in penaeid shrimp. Using cDNA reversed-transcribed from mRNA isolated from the hepatopancreas of vitellogenic female shrimp, Penaeus monodon, we found that its deduced amino acid sequence had high identity of 48% with that from M. rosenbergii vitellogenin. A similar location of the intron in the sequenced region of genomic DNA was also found between these two species. We therefore concluded that the hepatopancreas the extraovarian site of vitellogenin synthesis in P. monodon in vivo. The partial structure of vitellogenin gene is presented in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Y Tseng
- Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106, ROC
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29
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Comas D, Piulachs MD, Bellés X. Vitellogenin of Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, blattellidae): nucleotide sequence of the cDNA and analysis of the protein primary structure. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2000; 45:1-11. [PMID: 11015119 DOI: 10.1002/1520-6327(200009)45:1<1::aid-arch1>3.0.co;2-o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The cloning and sequencing of a cDNA of the vitellogenin gene from the cockroach Blattella germanica is reported. It is 5,749 nucleotides long and encodes an amino acid sequence of 1,862 residues (including a putative signal peptide of 17 residues). The vitellogenin sequence includes a long serine-rich stretch between amino acids 322 and 349, and two other stretches between amino acids 1691 and 1740. The vitellogenin of B. germanica shows a notable similarity (between 32 and 42%) to those described in other insects, and its alignment shows a high number of motifs conserved in all species, especially in the subdomains I-V. Non-parsimony methods (Neighbor Joining) of phylogenetic analysis of the insect vitellogenin sequences gave a tree showing a topology that is, in general, congruent with the currently accepted insect phylogenetic schemes. Arch.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Comas
- Department of Physiology and Molecular Biodiversity, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (CID, CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Tufail M, Lee JM, Hatakeyama M, Oishi K, Takeda M. Cloning of vitellogenin cDNA of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Dictyoptera), and its structural and expression analyses. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2000; 45:37-46. [PMID: 11015122 DOI: 10.1002/1520-6327(200009)45:1<37::aid-arch4>3.0.co;2-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A cDNA expression library constructed from poly (A)(+) RNA prepared from vitellogenic female fat body cells of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Dictyoptera) was screened using a polyclonal antiserum against the 100-kD polypeptide(s) from the egg extract. A partial Vg cDNA clone was obtained and sequenced. The 5' end portion of the cDNA was then obtained by the RACE method, cloned, and sequenced. The combined complete Vg cDNA was 5,854 bp long and contained a single ORF encoding 1,896 amino acids. The entire deduced amino acid sequence was aligned confidently with those of the known insect Vgs. A GL/ICG motif, a number of cysteines at conserved locations following this motif, and a DGXR motif upstream of the GL/ICG motif were present near the C-terminal. The chemically determined N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 170-kD polypeptide from the egg extract completely matched the deduced sequence starting from just after one of the consensus (RXXR) cleavage sites, indicating the occurrence of post-translational cleavage in the fat body cells. The Vg gene begins to be expressed in the 2-day-old adult female fat body cells but is never expressed in ovaries or in male fat body cells. Hemolymph Vg was first detected by immunoblotting in 4-day-old adult females, 2 days after the beginning of gene expression. Western blot analysis of major yolk polypeptides in nine cockroach species belonging to the two superfamilies, Blattoidea and Blaberoidea, using the antisera against P. americana major yolk polypeptides showed that the similarities in Vn antigenicity are basically limited to within a superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tufail
- Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, Japan
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31
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Tsutsui N, Kawazoe I, Ohira T, Jasmani S, Yang WJ, Wilder MN, Aida K. Molecular Characterization of a cDNA Encoding Vitellogenin and Its Expression in the Hepatopancreas and Ovary during Vitellogenesis in the Kuruma Prawn, Penaeus japonicus. Zoolog Sci 2000; 17:651-60. [DOI: 10.2108/zsj.17.651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/1999] [Accepted: 01/14/2000] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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32
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Lee KM, Lee KY, Choi HW, Cho MY, Kwon TH, Kawabata S, Lee BL. Activated phenoloxidase from Tenebrio molitor larvae enhances the synthesis of melanin by using a vitellogenin-like protein in the presence of dopamine. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 2000; 267:3695-703. [PMID: 10848987 DOI: 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01402.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the biological functions of activated phenoloxidase in arthropods is the synthesis of melanin around invaded foreign materials. However, little is known about how activated phenoloxidase synthesizes melanin at the molecular level. Even though it has been suggested that the quinone derivatives generated by activated phenoloxidase might use endogenous protein components for melanin synthesis in arthropods, there is no report of protein components engaged in melanin synthesis induced by activated phenoloxidase. In this study, to isolate and characterize proteins involved in melanin synthesis, we prepared in vitro prophenoloxidase activating solution (designated G-100 solution), specifically showing phenoloxidase activity in the presence of Ca2+ and beta-1, 3-glucan, from the hemolymph of larvae of the coleopteran Tenebrio molitor by using a Sephadex G-100 column. When G-100 solution was incubated with dopamine to induce melanin synthesis in the presence of Ca2+ and beta-1,3-glucan, four types of protein (160 kDa, prophenoloxidase, phenoloxidase and 45 kDa) disappeared from SDS/PAGE under reducing conditions. Under identical conditions, but including phenylthiourea as a phenoloxidase inhibitor added to the G-100 solution, three of these proteins (160 kDa, phenoloxidase and 45 kDa) did not disappear. To characterize these melanization-engaging proteins, we first purified the 160-kDa melanization-engaging protein to homogeneity and raised a polyclonal antibody against it. Analysis of the cDNA revealed that it consisted of 1439 amino-acid residues and showed partial homology with Caenorhabditis elegans vitellogenin precursor-6 (19.7%). Western blot analysis showed that it disappeared when active phenoloxidase induced melanin synthesis. Furthermore, when the purified 160-kDa melanization-engaging protein was added to a G-100 solution deficient in it, melanin synthesis was enhanced compared with the same solution without the protein. These data support the conclusion that the 160-kDa vitellogenin-like protein is involved in arthropod melanin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Korea
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33
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Lee JM, Hatakeyama M, Oishi K. A simple and rapid method for cloning insect vitellogenin cDNAs. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2000; 30:189-194. [PMID: 10732986 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(99)00127-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We describe a simple and rapid method for cloning insect vitellogenin (Vg) cDNAs. The method relies on the facts that insect Vg amino acid sequences can be aligned confidently along their entire lengths and that a short, highly conserved GL/ICG motif and up to nine cysteine residues that follow at conserved locations are present near the C-termini. An adaptor-ligated double-strand cDNA library is constructed from poly(A)+ RNA prepared from vitellogenic female fat body tissues using a commercial kit, and subjected to PCR with each of the degenerate nucleotide sequences for the GL/ICG motif and the adaptor sequence as primers. The PCR products (0.7-0.9 kb, representing the 3' portion) are cloned, the nucleotide sequences are determined, and the deduced amino acid sequences are aligned with the known insect Vg sequences starting from the GL/ICG motif. Gene-specific primers corresponding to the sequences near the 5'-termini of the initial clones and the adaptor sequence are employed to obtain the remaining 5' portion of the Vg cDNAs. The method was successfully applied to the bean bug Plautia stali (Heteroptera), revealing three Vg genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Lee
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Nada, Japan
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34
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Lee JM, Nishimori Y, Hatakeyama M, Bae TW, Oishi K. Vitellogenin of the cicada Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (Homoptera): analysis of its primary structure. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2000; 30:1-7. [PMID: 10646965 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(99)00085-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We cloned and sequenced the cDNA of vitellogenin (Vg) from the cicada Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (Homoptera). The deduced amino acid sequence of 1987 residues (including 16 residues for a putative signal peptide) was obtained. The pro-Vg was cleaved into two subunits between residues 379 and 380 following a consensus RXXR cleavage site sequence, secreted as S-Vg (apparent molecular weight 43 kDa) and L-Vg (200 kDa), sequestered, and stored in the egg as two vitellins (Vns), S-Vn and L-Vn, with similar respective molecular weights. There was a single long serine-rich stretch closely following the cleavage site. The entire amino acid sequences of the Vgs from the eight insects so far reported could be aligned confidently. The presence of subdomains I-V (areas of relatively high amino acid conservation) and of 10 cysteines at conserved locations at the C-terminus, noted previously among insect Vgs, were confirmed. Antisera raised against G. nigrofuscata S- and L-Vn cross-reacted with the S- and L-Vg/Vn, respectively, of all three other cicada species examined. Another major egg protein (170 kDa) unrelated to Vg/Vn, was also detected in all species examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Lee
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Nada, Japan
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35
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Chen YN, Tseng DY, Ho PY, Kuo CM. Site of vitellogenin synthesis determined from a cDNA encoding a vitellogenin fragment in the freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Mol Reprod Dev 1999; 54:215-22. [PMID: 10497343 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2795(199911)54:3<215::aid-mrd2>3.0.co;2-e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Vitellogenesis is an important part of reproductive process in crustaceans, and the process is characterized by the synthesis and accumulation of yolk protein in the developing oocytes. The yolk proteins in crustaceans mainly consist of vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellin (Vn), which are respectively present in extra-oocyte tissues and intra-oocytes. The site and the process of yolk protein synthesis in crustaceans are still controversial. The synthesis site of Vg in a crustacean species, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is determined by immunological and immunohistochemical techniques, and molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the primary structure of Vn in this study. The hepatopancrease is clearly shown to be the synthesis site of Vg in this species. The length of Vg mRNA was estimated as about 6 kb from Northern blotting analysis. The partial primary structure of Vg gene is presented, and the post-translational processing are further discussed. For the first time, the partial primary structure of Vg gene and the synthesis site of Vg approached by molecular cloning in crustaceans are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y N Chen
- Institute of Fisheries Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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36
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Perera OP, Shirk PD. cDNA of YP4, a follicular epithelium yolk protein subunit, in the moth, Plodia interpunctella. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 1999; 40:157-164. [PMID: 10207993 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6327(1999)40:3<157::aid-arch5>3.0.co;2-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
YP4, a subunit of the follicular epithelium yolk protein in the moth, Plodia interpunctella, is produced in the follicle cells during vitellogenesis and after secretion is taken up into the oocyte and stored in the yolk spheres for utilization during embryogenesis. In order to identify the cDNA clones for YP4, a degenerate PCR primer was designed to six amino acid residues identified in the NH2-terminal sequence of mature YP4. The YP4 degenerate primer plus T7 reverse PCR primer produced a PCR product from a cDNA library for the majority of the YP4 coding sequence. Combined cDNA and 5' RACE sequencing showed the YP4 transcript to be 991 bp in length with a single open reading frame for a predicted polypeptide of 299 amino acids. Northern analysis showed a single YP4 transcript was present in ovarian RNA that was approximately 1 kb in length. The predicted amino acid sequence for YP4 from P. interpunctella was most closely related to the predicted YP4 protein from the moth, Galleria mellonella, and the spherulin 2a protein from the slime mold, Physarum polycephalum.
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Affiliation(s)
- O P Perera
- Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Gainesville, Florida 32604, USA
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37
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Hirukawa Y, Nakato H, Izumi S, Tsuruhara T, Tomino S. Structure and expression of a cyst specific protein of Acanthamoeba castellanii. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 1998; 1398:47-56. [PMID: 9602053 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4781(98)00026-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The life cycle of Acanthamoeba is divided into a growth-division phase and two distinctive processes of cellular differentiation, termed encystment and excystment. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that a specific protein of 21 kDa in molecular weight occurs in the cyst, but not in the trophozoite stages of A. castellanii Neff strain. This cyst-specific protein, designated as CSP21, was purified from guanidine-HCl extract of cyst wall and anti-CSP21 antibody was produced. Immunoblotting of proteins extracted from a variety of species of Acanthamoeba genus suggested that the antibody is specific for group II amoebae, therefore, providing a useful tool for Acanthamoebae taxonomy. A cDNA clone for A. castellanii CSP21 was isolated by immunoscreening of a cDNA expression library constructed from mRNA of amoebae at encysting stage. The deduced primary structure indicated that CSP21 is a hydrophilic protein showing no significant homology with peptides thus far published. RNA blot analysis showed that the expression of CSP21 mRNA was restricted within early stages of encystment, suggesting that the biosynthesis of CSP21 is regulated at mRNA level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Hirukawa
- Division of Radiological Protection and Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162, Japan.
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38
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Swevers L, Iatrou K. The orphan receptor BmHNF-4 of the silkmoth Bombyx mori: ovarian and zygotic expression of two mRNA isoforms encoding polypeptides with different activating domains. Mech Dev 1998; 72:3-13. [PMID: 9533948 DOI: 10.1016/s0925-4773(97)00180-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Two silkmoth nuclear receptor isoforms, BmHNF-4a and BmHNF-4b, that are related to the mammalian orphan receptor HNF-4, were characterized. Their characterization revealed that they differ from each other only in their 5' UTR and N-terminus of the predicted polypeptides. In ovarian tissue, the two receptors are expressed as a delayed response to 20-hydroxy-ecdysone and their expression increases during vitellogenesis. BmHNF-4 mRNA is localized in the cytoplasm of follicular cells and a binding activity that recognizes a mammalian HNF-4 response element is present in follicular cell nuclear extracts. BmHNF-4 mRNA is also present in the oocyte, the unfertilized egg and the early embryo, thus displaying a behavior reminiscent of maternal mRNA. Both mRNA isoforms are found in the embryo following fertilization and their abundance is modulated during ensuing embryogenesis. In contrast to the rather limited distribution of HNF-4 in mammalian tissues, BmHNF-4 is expressed in most larval and pharate adult tissues of the silkmoth.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Swevers
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
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39
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Martín D, Piulachs MD, Comas D, Bellés X. Isolation and sequence of a partial vitellogenin cDNA from the cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, Blattellidae), and characterization of the vitellogenin gene expression. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 1998; 38:137-146. [PMID: 9658559 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6327(1998)38:3<137::aid-arch4>3.0.co;2-p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
A partial cDNA clone of the vitellogenin gene from the cockroach Blattella germanica has been isolated from a cDNA expression library using an anti-vitellin-vitellogenin antiserum probe. The analysis of cDNA inserts gave a sequence of 2,645 nucleotides corresponding to the 3' region. The deduced amino acid sequence is 825 residues long and is similar to the homologous portion of the vitellogenin of other insect species, especially that of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. RNA hybridization studies indicated that the vitellogenin gene expression is limited to the fat body of adult females. The pattern of expression during the first vitellogenic cycle was approximately parallel to that of vitellogenin production by the fat body previously described. The availability of a cDNA probe for the B. germanica vitellogenin gene represents a useful tool to study the molecular action of hormones affecting vitellogenin synthesis in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Martín
- Insect Physiology Unit, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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40
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Nose Y, Lee JM, Ueno T, Hatakeyama M, Oishi K. Cloning of cDNA for vitellogenin of the parasitoid wasp, Pimpla nipponica (Hymenoptera: Apocrita: Ichneumonidae): vitellogenin primary structure and evolutionary considerations. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1997; 27:1047-1056. [PMID: 9569645 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(97)00091-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The cDNA for vitellogenin (Vg) of the parasitoid wasp Pimpla nipponica (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence with 1807 residues was obtained. The N-terminal 20 amino acids chemically determined for vitellin (Vn) agreed completely with the deduced 20 amino acids that follow the 16 amino acid residues for putative signal peptide. The cDNA clone for the Vg of the turnip sawfly Athalia rosae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta), previously obtained and partially sequenced, was also completely sequenced and the amino acid sequence deduced. Amino acid sequences were compared between these two species and also with known Vg sequences from other insects. Common to all these insects is the presence of two long regions with relatively well-conserved amino acid sequences, one near the N-terminal extending 267-282 residues (including two cysteines at conserved locations), and the other starting at position 450 to 655 and extending 279-283 residues, and of a region at the C-terminal extending some 200 residues (about 250 in Aedes aegypti due to the presence of a serine-rich stretch) with 10 cysteines at conserved locations. A molecular phylogenetic tree was constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Nose
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Japan
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41
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VERMUNT AM, KOOPMANSCHAP AB, de KORT CA. Influence of Pyriproxyfen on the Expression of Haemolymph Protein Genes in the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 1997; 43:363-371. [PMID: 12769898 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-1910(96)00105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Pyriproxyfen, a potent juvenile hormone analogue for the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, was applied topically to last-instar larvae and short-day adults at different times after moulting. The effect of the hormone analogue on concentration and composition of protein in the haemolymph was studied at different intervals after pyriproxyfen application. The hormone analogue had little effect on total protein concentration of the haemolymph, but affected protein composition. Diapause protein 1 was prevented from being synthesized if pyriproxyfen was applied before the gene was activated and disappeared from the haemolymph if applied after the gene had been expressed. It therefore inactivated the gene for diapause protein in both larvae and adults. Pyriproxyfen also induced appearance of vitellogenin at both stages, indicating induction of expression of the vitellogenin gene. It also affected the stability of mRNA for diapause protein. The analogue caused mRNA for diapause protein 1 to disappear untimely compared to controls in last-instar larvae and short-day adults. The response of adults to the JHA was much more pronounced than that of larvae, although the analogue had a strong biological effect on last-instar larvae because it prevented metamorphosis at low doses. Copyright 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
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Affiliation(s)
- A M.W. VERMUNT
- Dept of Virology, PO Box 8045, 6700 EM, Wageningen, Netherlands
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42
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Hiremath S, Lehtoma K. Complete nucleotide sequence of the vitellogenin mRNA from the gypsy moth: novel arrangement of the subunit encoding regions. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1997; 27:27-35. [PMID: 9061926 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(96)00067-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Primary structure analysis and location of introns suggests evolutionary relatedness among vitellogenin (Vg) genes from vertebrates and invertebrates, including insects. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the gypsy moth VgmRNA, which shows that its structure is significantly different from VgmRNAs in other systems. The nucleotide sequence was determined using overlapping cDNA fragments generated from RACE reactions and rTh polymerase-mediated PCR. The VgmRNA is 5579 nucleotides long and codes for both the large and small subunits. However, the arrangement of the subunit encoding regions in the gypsy moth VgmRNA is opposite of what has been observed in other systems. Gypsy moth Vg gene is the first reported example of a Vg gene where the 5'-terminal region codes for the large subunit and the 3'-terminal region for the small subunit. Also, the sequence near the junction of subunits was significantly different from those found in other insects. This may be responsible for the relatively more stable precursor of Vg subunits found in the gypsy moth hemolymph. It is not clear where this divergence in the structure of Vg gene occurred during evolution, since the Vg gene of another lepidopteran, Bombyx mori, conforms to the structure of those in vertebrates and other invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hiremath
- USDA Forest Service Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Delaware, OH 43015, USA
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TAKAHASHI SUSUMUY, YAMAMOTO YOSHIMI, ZHAO XIAOFAN, WATABE SHOJI. Bombyxacid cysteine proteinase. INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 1996. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.1996.9672553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Shimizu K, Satuito CG, Saikawa W, Fusetani N. Larval storage protein of the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite: biochemical and immunological similarities to vitellin. THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY 1996; 276:87-94. [PMID: 8900073 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19961001)276:2<87::aid-jez1>3.0.co;2-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Biochemical and immunological characterization of cyprid major protein (CMP), the principal protein constituent of cypris larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite (Crustacea: Cirripedia), revealed similarities to egg-yolk protein, vitellin, as follows: CMP and vitellin heavy chain both have a molecular weight of 170 kDa by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis containing sodium dodecylsulfate; CMP was crossreactive with antiserum against vitellin heavy chain in immunoblot analysis. The sequence of 11 amino acids in the amino-terminus of CMP, however, is not perfectly homologous to that of vitellin heavy chain. Thus, it was deduced that CMP was an isoform of vitellin. Concentration of CMP abruptly increased during the latter naupliar stages, reaching a peak just after metamorphosis to the non-feeding cypris stage, and decreased thereafter with aging of cyprids or during the early juvenile period. Specifically, the concentration of CMP in newly metamorphosed juveniles within one day decreased to 20% that of cyprids. CMP, therefore, appears to function as a storage protein during settlement of cyprids as well as metamorphosis to juveniles. Immunohistochemical analysis using antiserum against vitellin heavy chain on sectioned cyprids suggested that CMP is accumulated in the haemocoel.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Shimizu
- Fusetani Biofouling Project, ERATO, JRDC, Yokohama R&D Center of Niigata Engineering Co., Ltd., Japan
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Harrison DG, Sayegh H, Ohara Y, Inoue N, Venema RC. Regulation of expression of the endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1996; 23:251-5. [PMID: 8934617 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1996.tb02606.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
1. Recent studies have provided insight into how the expression of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) is regulated. 2. The promoter of ecNOS has several features that are compatible with a constitutively expressed, so-called 'house keeping' gene. These include absence of a TATA box and the presence of Sp1 binding sites located near the transcription start site. The promoter also contains a number of putative binding domains which suggests that it may be regulated by a variety of transcription factor mediated signals. 3. Studies of cultured endothelial cells suggest that ecNOS expression is modulated by shear stress, transforming growth factor beta, inhibition of protein kinase C and the state of proliferation. These experiments indicate that although the ecNOS is a 'constitutively expressed' gene, its content in the endothelium is subject to modest degrees of regulation that may have important physiological and pathophysiological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G Harrison
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Schneider WJ. Vitellogenin receptors: oocyte-specific members of the low-density lipoprotein receptor supergene family. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 1996; 166:103-37. [PMID: 8881774 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)62507-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Receptors that transport vitellogenin (VTG) into oocytes are of vital importance to egg-laying species, because they mediate a key step of oocyte maturation, a prerequisite to reproduction. Vitellogenins are lipophosphoglycoproteins that are produced under female hormonal control in large central organs (fat body in insects; liver in higher animals) and are transported in the circulation to the female gonads. VTG receptors localized in coated pits on the surface of growth-competent oocytes are able to accumulate in the yolk high concentrations of VTG and other ligands they recognize. The study of VTG receptors and their ligands has identified genes that specify related ligands, and a family of receptors. To date, all molecularly characterized VTG receptors belong to the low-density lipoprotein receptor supergene family, which ranges from a 600-kDa receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans to the 100-kDa so-called very-low-density lipoprotein receptors in mammals. These receptors, by and large, recognize ligands with similarities in structural elements first defined in the human apoplipoproteins B-100 and E. Recent studies on the receptor family have added VTG and lipoprotein lipase to the list of co-evolved ligands and have revealed that VTG receptors are able to interact with ligands other than VTG and also with some unrelated to lipoprotein metabolism. For example, the chicken VTG receptor also imports very-low-density lipoprotein, riboflavin-binding protein, and alpha-2-macroglobulin into growing oocytes. Such multifunctionality of receptors is likely the result of evolutionary pressure to provide the female germ cell with a highly economical machinery for vitellogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- W J Schneider
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Vienna, Austria
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Adamczyk JJ, Fescemyer HW, Heckel DG, Gahan LJ, Davis RE, Kelly TJ. Sex-specific and hormone-controlled expression of a vitellogenin-encoding gene in the gypsy moth. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 1996; 31:237-256. [PMID: 8742824 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6327(1996)31:3<237::aid-arch1>3.0.co;2-v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Microvitellogenin and vitellogenin cDNA from Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm) were tested for use as molecular probes to investigate the expression of genes coding for vitellogenins in Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) and Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth). Cross-hybridization was not observed between the M. sexta cDNAs and S. frugiperda DNA and mRNA. Vitellogenin cDNA from M. sexta did not hybridize to L. dispar DNA or mRNA. However, the 834 bp microvitellogenin cDNA from M. sexta hybridized to an approximately 850 bp transcript in L. dispar mRNA. A 2.5 kb cDNA clone, pz64, was isolated from late last instar larvae of female L. dispar by differential screening. This clone has 38% amino acid sequence (deduced) and 55% nucleic acid sequence similarities with the 3'-end of high molecular weight vitellogenin in Bombyx mori (silkworm). When used as a probe in northern analysis of L. dispar mRNA, this cDNA hybridized to a 5.3 kb transcript in female last instar larvae, pupae, and adults, but not to male last instar larvae and adults. This cDNA did not hybridize to mRNA from M. sexta or S. frugiperda. Expression of the 5.3 kb vitellogenin transcript hybridizing to the 2.5 kb cDNA clone was suppressed in 5-day-old last instar larvae of female L. dispar treated on day 2 with doses of the juvenile hormone analog, methoprene, greater than 10 nmol. Apparently, the high in vivo titer of juvenile hormone during the first 2 days of the last instar represses the transcription of vitellogenin mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Adamczyk
- Department of Entomology, Clemson University, SC 29634-0365, USA
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LaFleur GJ, Byrne BM, Kanungo J, Nelson LD, Greenberg RM, Wallace RA. Fundulus heteroclitus vitellogenin: the deduced primary structure of a piscine precursor to noncrystalline, liquid-phase yolk protein. J Mol Evol 1995; 41:505-21. [PMID: 7563139 DOI: 10.1007/bf00160323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding a vitellogenin (Vtg) from the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, an estuarine teleost. We constructed a liver cDNA library against RNA from estrogen-treated male mummichogs. Five overlapping cDNA clones totalling 5,197 bp were isolated through a combination of degenerate oligonucleotide probing of the library and PCR. The cDNA sequence contains a 5,112 bp open reading frame. The predicted primary structure of the deduced 1,704-amino-acid protein is 30-40% identical to other documented chordate Vtgs, establishing this Vtg as a member of the ancient Vtg gene family. Of the previously reported chordate Vtg sequences (Xenopus laevis, Gallus domesticus, Ichthyomyzon unicuspis, and Acipenser transmontanus), all four act as precursor proteins to a yolk which is eventually rendered insoluble under physiological conditions, either as crystalline platelets or as noncrystalline granules. The yolk of F. heteroclitus, on the other hand, remains in a soluble state throughout oocyte growth. The putative F. heteroclitus Vtg contains a polyserine region with a relative serine composition that is 10-20% higher than that observed for the other Vtgs. The trinucleotide repeats encoding the characteristic polyserine tracts of the phosvitin region follow a previously reported trend: TCX codons on the 5' end and AGY codons toward the 3' end. Whether the difference in Vtg primary structure between F. heteroclitus and that of other chordates is responsible for the differences in yolk structure remains to be elucidated. As the first complete teleost Vtg to be reported, these data will aid in designing nucleotide and immunological probes for detecting Vtg as a reproductive status indicator in F. heteroclitus and other piscine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J LaFleur
- Whitney Laboratory, University of Florida, Marineland 32086, USA
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Romans P, Tu Z, Ke Z, Hagedorn HH. Analysis of a vitellogenin gene of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti and comparisons to vitellogenins from other organisms. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1995; 25:939-958. [PMID: 7550249 DOI: 10.1016/0965-1748(95)00037-v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A genomic clone of the Aedes aegypti vitellogenin A1 gene was sequenced including 2015 bp of 5' untranscribed sequence, 6369 bp of open reading frame interrupted by two introns, and a short 3' untranslated region. Primer extension was used to identify the transcription initiation site. The amino termini of the large and small subunits were located by N-terminal sequencing of vitellin purified from eggs. The length of the signal sequence and the position of the cleavage site between the two subunits were also determined. Three sequential imperfect repeats were found near the beginning of the small subunit. The sequence of the coding region appears to be polymorphic. Comparison of the signal sequences of seven insect vitellogenin genes revealed several conserved leucines, and a conserved position of an intron. However, the signal sequences are not conserved between these genes and the yolk protein genes of Cyclorraphid Dipteran insects. The cleavage sites between the small and large subunits in the vitellogenins of the mosquito, A. aegypti, sawfly, Athalia rosae, boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, and silkworm, Bombyx mori are flanked by sequences rich in serine. Pairwise dot matrix analysis at the protein level showed that the mosquito, boll weevil and silkworm vitellogenins are significantly related with approx. 50% similarity. One region of the three insect vitellogenin genes, near the N-terminal of the large subunit, showed the highest levels of similarity, from 57.5 to 64.4%. The position of cysteines in insect vitellogenins is conserved, particularly in the C-terminus of the large subunit. Dot matrix comparison of the mosquito vitellogenin with that of Xenopus laevis and Caenorhabditis elegans showed much lower, but still significant degrees of relationship. Pairwise comparisons of the mosquito vitellogenin and the Drosophila melanogaster yolk proteins did not show significant similarities. Potential regulatory regions in the mosquito VgA1 gene were identified by comparison to regulatory elements known from other organisms, especially D. melanogaster, which could provide useful information for further functional analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Romans
- Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Schonbaum CP, Lee S, Mahowald AP. The Drosophila yolkless gene encodes a vitellogenin receptor belonging to the low density lipoprotein receptor superfamily. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1995; 92:1485-9. [PMID: 7878005 PMCID: PMC42544 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.92.5.1485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sequence comparisons of vitellogenins from a wide range of organisms have identified regions of similarity not only to each other but also to vertebrate apolipoproteins (e.g. apoB-100 and apoE). Furthermore, the chicken vitellogenin receptor, which also binds apolipoproteins receptor (LDLR) superfamily [Bujo, H., Hermann, M., Kaderli, M. O., Jacobsen, L., Sugawara, S., Nimpf, J., Yamamoto, T. & Schneider, W. J. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 5165-5175]. The yolk proteins of higher dipterans are exceptional, however, and instead show similarity to lipoprotein lipases. The molecular characterization of the putative Drosophila melanogaster vitellogenin receptor gene, yolkless (yl), described in this report reveals that the protein it encodes (Yl), is also a member of the LDLR superfamily. The ovary-specific 6.5-kb yl RNA codes for a protein of approximately 210 kDa which contains all three motifs common to the LDLR class of proteins. Within this superfamily, Yl may be related more to the LDLR-related proteins (LRPs), which bind both apolipoproteins and lipoprotein lipases. The similarity of Yl to the other LDLR proteins is restricted to the putative extracellular domain. Most noticeably, the cytoplasmic domain of Yl lacks the typical NPXY sequence which is involved in receptor internalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- C P Schonbaum
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, IL 60637
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