Pigments

Inhibitory Effect on RT-PCR and Restriction Enzyme Activity by Ommochrome and Its Mechanism

To explore the physiological role and/or pharmacological effects of ommochrome, which is a natural organic pigment widely distributed in Protostomia, we attempted to investigate the influence of ommochrome on RT-PCR and activities of restriction enzymes. It was found that ommin, an ommochrome purified from the diapause eggs of Bombyx mori, inhibited the RT-PCR and restriction enzyme activities. The mechanism of these inhibitory reactions is assumed to be the direct binding of ommochrome to DNA rather than acting against the enzymes because, similarly to actinomycin D, there is a phenoxazine ring in the structure of ommin that is known to be intercalated to DNA. To reveal the ommin/DNA interaction, it was investigated by computational approaches such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and free energy calculation. From the computational analyses, it was expected that ommin would bind to DNA with almost the same strength as actinomycin D and intercalate into DNA. This is the first report on the pharmacological effect of ommochrome and its inhibitory mechanism obtained from biochemical and computational analyses.

Ommochromes in invertebrates: biochemistry and cell biology

Ommochromes are widely occurring coloured molecules of invertebrates, arising from tryptophan catabolism through the so-called Tryptophan → Ommochrome pathway. They are mainly known to mediate compound eye vision, as well as reversible and irreversible colour patterning. Ommochromes might also be involved in cell homeostasis by detoxifying free tryptophan and buffering oxidative stress. These biological functions are directly linked to their unique chromophore, the phenoxazine/phenothiazine system. The most recent reviews on ommochrome biochemistry were published more than 30 years ago, since when new results on the enzymes of the ommochrome pathway, on ommochrome photochemistry as well as on their antiradical capacities have been obtained. Ommochromasomes are the organelles where ommochromes are synthesised and stored. Hence, they play an important role in mediating ommochrome functions. Ommochromasomes are part of the lysosome-related organelles (LROs) family, which includes other pigmented organelles such as vertebrate melanosomes. Ommochromasomes are unique because they are the only LRO for which a recycling process during reversible colour change has been described. Herein, we provide an update on ommochrome biochemistry, photoreactivity and antiradical capacities to explain their diversity and behaviour both in vivo and in vitro. We also highlight new biochemical techniques, such as quantum chemistry, metabolomics and crystallography, which could lead to major advances in their chemical and functional characterisation. We then focus on ommochromasome structure and formation by drawing parallels with the well-characterised melanosomes of vertebrates. The biochemical, genetic, cellular and microscopic tools that have been applied to melanosomes should provide important information on the ommochromasome life cycle. We propose LRO-based models for ommochromasome biogenesis and recycling that could be tested in the future. Using the context of insect compound eyes, we finally emphasise the importance of an integrated approach in understanding the biological functions of ommochromes.

Posterior eyespots in larval chitons have a molecular identity similar to anterior cerebral eyes in other bilaterians

Background

Development of cerebral eyes is generally based on fine-tuned networks and closely intertwined with the formation of brain and head. Consistently and best studied in insects and vertebrates, many signaling pathways relaying the activity of eye developmental factors to positional information in the head region are characterized. Though known from several organisms, photoreceptors developing outside the head region are much less studied and the course of their development, relation to cerebral eyes and evolutionary origin is in most cases unknown. To explore how position influences development of otherwise similar photoreceptors, we analyzed the molecular characteristics of photoreceptors we discovered at the very anterior, the posttrochal mid-body and posterior body region of larval Leptochiton asellus, a representative of the chiton subgroup of mollusks.

Results

Irrespective of their position, all found photoreceptors exhibit a molecular signature highly similar to cerebral eye photoreceptors of related animals. All photoreceptors employ the same subtype of visual pigments (r-opsin), and the same key elements for phototransduction such as GNAq, trpC and arrestin and intracellular r-opsin transport such as rip11 and myosinV as described from other protostome cerebral eyes. Several transcription factors commonly involved in cerebral eye and brain development such as six1/2, eya, dachshund, lhx2/9 and prox are also expressed by all found photoreceptor cells, only pax6 being restricted to the anterior most cells. Coexpression of pax6 and MITF in photoreceptor-associated shielding pigment cells present at the mid-body position matches the common situation in cerebral eye retinal pigment epithelium specification and differentiation. Notably, all photoreceptors, even the posterior ones, further express clear anterior markers such as foxq2, irx, otx, and six3/6 (only the latter absent in the most posterior photoreceptors), which play important roles in the early patterning of the anterior neurogenic area throughout the animal kingdom.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that anterior eyes with brain-associated development can indeed be subject to heterotopic replication to developmentally distinct and even posterior body regions. Retention of the transcriptional activity of a broad set of eye developmental factors and common anterior markers suggests a mode of eye development induction, which is largely independent of body regionalization.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13227-015-0036-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pigmentation and behavior: potential association through pleiotropic genes in Drosophila

The molecular basis of pigmentation variation within and among Drosophila species is largely attributed to genes in melanin biosynthesis pathway, which involves dopamine metabolism. Most of the genetic changes underlying pigmentation variations reported to date are changes at the expression levels of the structural genes in the pathway. Within D. melanogaster, changes in cis-regulatory regions of a gene, ebony, are responsible for the naturally occurring variation of the body pigmentation intensity. This gene is also known to be expressed in glia, and many visual and behavioral abnormalities of its mutants have been reported. This implies that the gene has pleiotropic functions in the nervous systems. In this review, current knowledge on pigmentation variation and melanin biosynthesis pathway are summarized, with some focus on pleiotropic features of ebony and other genes in the pathway. A potential association between pigmentation and behavior through such pleiotropic genes is discussed in light of cis-regulatory structure and pleiotropic mutations.

A protean palette: colour materials and mixing in birds and butterflies

While typically classified as either 'structural' or 'pigmentary', bio-optical tissues of terrestrial animals are rarely homogeneous and typically contain both a structural material such as keratin or chitin and one or more pigments. These base materials interact physically and chemically to create colours. Combinations of structured base materials and embedded pigment molecules often interact optically to produce unique colours and optical properties. Therefore, to understand the mechanics and evolution of bio-optical tissues it is critical to understand their material properties, both in isolation and in combination. Here, we review the optics and evolution of coloured tissues with a focus on their base materials, using birds and butterflies as exemplar taxa owing to the strength of our current knowledge of colour production in these animals. We first review what is known of their base materials, and then discuss the consequences of these interactions from an optical perspective. Finally, we suggest directions for future research on colour optics and evolution that will be invaluable as we move towards a fuller understanding of colour in the natural world.

The functional morphology of color changing in a spider: development of ommochrome pigment granules

Studies on the formation of ommochrome pigment granules are very few, despite their generalized occurrence as screening pigments in insect eyes. This is particularly true for ommochrome granules responsible for epidermal coloration. The aims of this study were to characterize the localization of major body pigments in a color changing mimetic spider, Misumena vatia (Thomisidae), and to describe the formation and location of ommochrome pigment granules responsible for the spider's color change from white to yellow. The unpigmented cuticula of this spider is transparent. Both the guanine localized in guanine cells in the opisthosoma and the uric acid localized in epidermis cells in the prosoma are responsible for the white coloration. The bright yellow color is due to the combination of ommochrome pigment granules and the white reflectance from coincident guanine and/or uric acid. The formation of ommochrome pigment granules in epidermis cells proceeds via three distinctive steps. Translucent, UV fluorescent, progranules (type I) are produced by a dense network of endoplasmic reticulum associated with numerous mitochondria and glycogen rosettes. These progranules are present in white spiders only, and regularly distributed in the cytoplasm. The merging of several progranules of type I into a transient state (progranule type II) leads to the formation of granules (type III) characterized by their lack of fluorescence, their spherical sections and their osmophilic-electron-dense contents. They are found in yellow spiders and in the red stripes on the body sides. Their color varies from yellow to red. Thus, white spiders contain only type I granules, yellow tinted spiders contain type II and III granules and bright yellow spiders contain only type III granules. We present a synthetic view of the ontogeny of ommochrome granules. We discuss the physiology of color changing and the nature of the chemical compounds in the different types of granules. Extended studies on the ultrastructural modification and physiological processes associated with color change are required before any statement about the adaptiveness of the color change can be made.

Pigment pattern formation in the quail mutant of the silkworm, Bombyx mori: parallel increase of pteridine biosynthesis and pigmentation of melanin and ommochromes

The larval pigment pattern in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, is formed by melanin, ommochromes and pteridines. During development all these pigments are synthesized autonomously, and possibly also with mutual interaction between them, to yield unique pigment patterns. In order to find the key trigger for such pigment pattern formation, developmental changes in pteridine biosynthesis were studied using the quail mutant (q/q), which has darker larval marks formed by melanin and an abundance of ommochromes in the integument. In the current study, emphasis has been placed on the analysis of GTP-cyclohydrolase I (GTP-CH I), which is a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of pteridines, during the development of the silkworm. Results of Northern blotting showed that in the quail mutant strong signals of GTP-CH I mRNA appeared around each period of ecdysis, while no such signals appeared in the background strain (+q/q) used. Also, both GTP-CH I activities and pteridine content were higher in the quail mutant compared with the background strain. These results strongly suggest that pteridine biosynthesis is closely linked to the formation of melanin and ommochromes. It is also suggested here that in the silkworm a recessive gene (q) may be involved in the regulation of its pigment pattern formation.

Antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus-1 in vitro by myristoylated-peptide from Heliothis virescens

An insect antiviral compound was purified from Heliothis virescens larval hemolymph by gel-filtration high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and C-18 reverse-phase HPLC and its structure was determined by mass spectrometry. The antiviral compound is an N-myristoylated-peptide containing six amino acids with calculated molecular weight of 916 Da. The N-terminus contains the fatty acid myristoyl, and the C-terminus contains histidine with two methyl groups giving the histidine a permanent positive charge. The remainder of the compound is essentially non-polar. The structure of the compound corresponds with the 'myristate plus basic' motif expressed by certain viral proteins in their binding to the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane to initiate viral assembly and budding from a host cell. The insect antiviral compound may inhibit viral assembly and/or budding of viruses from host cells that could include the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and herpes simplex virus-1 that use this motif for exit from a host cell. Using the formazan assay, the myristoylated-peptide was effective against HIV-1, with a nine times increase in the viability and protection in vitro of treated CEM-SS cells when compared with infected but untreated control cells.

Ovicide-induced serosa degeneration and its impact on embryonic development in Manduca sexta (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

Eggs of Manduca sexta treated with the ovicide Ov. 165049 turn orange, and the embryos later die. The orange pigmentation is at first confined to the serosa, and is accompanied by pathological changes of serosal cells. Lipid vesicles aggregate and spindle-shaped electron-lucent vesicles-normally forming a single layer below the apical cell surface-greatly accumulate. The mitochondria swell considerably, and their matrices become electron-lucent. Subsequently, the serosal cells develop additional features of necrosis. They form many autophagic vacuoles which contain mostly degradating mitochondria, but also segregated rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and glycogen granules. The whole cytoplasm vesiculates, and the cells shrink considerably. The nuclei become less irregular in shape, the chromatin disperses rather evenly whereas the nucleoli persist. Neither chromatin condensation nor the production of apoptotic bodies was observed-further evidence, that the serosal cells die by necrosis rather than apoptosis. At some stage of development the damaged serosa ruptures, retracts from the embryo and forms a sphere beneath it. It is only after the rupture of the serosa, that the embryo also turns orange and disintegrates rapidly. This shows impressively the protective function which the serosa plays for the embryo. Our physiological tests indicate, that the orange pigmentation of the serosa induced by the ovicide results from a disturbance of the tryptophan/ommochrome pathway serving the excretion of potentially toxic metabolites of tryptophan-rich proteins. The results demonstrate first that the serosa represents an important target for ovicide pesticides and second that it plays a vital role as an excretory organ during embryogenesis.

FATMETABOLISM ININSECTS

The study of fat metabolism in insects has received considerable attention over the years. Although by no means complete, there is a growing body of information about dietary lipid requirements, and the absolute requirement for sterol is of particular note. In this review we (a) summarize the state of understanding of the dietary requirements for the major lipids and (b) describe in detail the insect lipid transport system. Insects digest and absorb lipids similarly to vertebrates, but with some important differences. The hallmark of fat metabolism in insects centers on the lipid transport system. The major lipid transported is diacylglycerol, and it is carried by a high-density lipoprotein called lipophorin. Lipophorin is a reusable shuttle that picks up lipid from the gut and delivers it to tissues for storage or utilization without using the endocytic processes common to vertebrate cells. The mechanisms by which this occurs are not completely understood and offer fruitful areas for future research.

Carotenoid scarcity, synthetic pteridine pigments and the evolution of sexual coloration in guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Carotenoid-based sexual coloration is the classic example of an honest signal of mate quality. Animals cannot synthesize carotenoid pigments and ultimately depend on dietary sources. Thus, in carotenoid-poor environments, carotenoid coloration may be a direct indicator of foraging ability and an indirect indicator of health and vigour. Carotenoid coloration may also be affected, more directly, by parasites in some species. Carotenoids are not, however, the only conspicuous pigments available to animals. Pteridine pigments, with similar spectral properties, are displayed in the exoskeletons and wings of insects, the irides of birds and the skins of fishes, lizards and amphibians. Unlike carotenoids, pteridines are synthesized de novo by animals. We report that the orange spots that male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) display to females contain red pteridine pigments (drosopterins) in addition to carotenoids. We also examined the relationship between drosopterin production by males and carotenoid availability in the field. The results contrasted sharply with the hypothesis that males use drosopterins to compensate for carotenoid scarcity: males used more, not less, drosopterins in streams with higher carotenoid availability. The positive association between drosopterin use and carotenoid availability could reflect the costs of drosopterin synthesis or it could be a consequence of females preferring a particular pigment ratio or hue. Male guppies appear to use drosopterin pigments in a manner that dilutes, but does not eliminate, the indicator value of carotenoid coloration.