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Zheng X, Liu Y, Wang R, Geng M, Liu J, Liu Z, Zhao Y. 1 H-NMR revealed pyruvate as a differentially abundant metabolite in the venom glands of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 115:e22104. [PMID: 38506277 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
As a common defense mechanism in Hymenoptera, bee venom has complex components. Systematic and comprehensive analysis of bee venom components can aid in early evaluation, accurate diagnosis, and protection of organ function in humans in cases of bee stings. To determine the differences in bee venom composition and metabolic pathways between Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H-NMR) technology was used to detect the metabolites in venom samples. A total of 74 metabolites were identified and structurally analyzed in the venom of A. cerana and A. mellifera. Differences in the composition and abundance of major components of bee venom from A. cerana and A. mellifera were mapped to four main metabolic pathways: valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis; glycine, serine and threonine metabolism; alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism; and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. These findings indicated that the synthesis and metabolic activities of proteins or polypeptides in bee venom glands were different between A. cerana and A. mellifera. Pyruvate was highly activated in 3 selected metabolic pathways in A. mellifera, being much more dominant in A. mellifera venom than in A. cerana venom. These findings indicated that pyruvate in bee venom glands is involved in various life activities, such as biosynthesis and energy metabolism, by acting as a precursor substance or intermediate product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanjun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongshen Wang
- Shijiazhuang Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Hebei, China
| | - Mingyang Geng
- Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture General Animal Husbandry Station, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Jinliang Liu
- Beijing Shennong's Country Apiculture Specialized Cooperative, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenxing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yazhou Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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da Silva IB, Costa-Leonardo AM. Functional Morphology and Development of the Colleterial Glands in Non- and Egg-Laying Females of the Pest Termite Coptotermes gestroi (Blattaria, Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae). MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:1277-1288. [PMID: 37749679 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Colleterial glands of female insects are accessory glands responsible for producing secretions associated with egg-laying. Within Dictyoptera, they synthesize compounds of the ootheca. However, their morphology and role in termites are poorly understood. Here, we compared the morphology, development, and secretory activity of the colleterial glands between non- and egg-laying females of the pest termite Coptotermes gestroi under light and transmission electron microscopy. We also provide the first description of these glands for Rhinotermitidae. The glands are paired, divided into anterior and posterior units, which join in a common duct via basal trunks. They are highly developed within egg-laying females, especially the posterior gland, secreting glycoproteins to lubricate the genital chamber and/or stick the eggs together. Ultrastructure revealed glandular epithelia composed of bicellular units of Class 3, whose secretory activity varied between groups and units. Posterior gland of egg-laying females showed richness of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and secretory vesicles, including electron-dense secretory granules, indicating synthesis and transport of contents, especially proteins. The basal trunks were enfolded by muscles, supporting their role in conducting secretion. Morphophysiological modifications occur in the colleterial glands as females mature and lay eggs, and the mechanisms underlying the secretory cycle of the glands are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iago Bueno da Silva
- Laboratório de Cupins, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro SP 13.506-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Costa-Leonardo
- Laboratório de Cupins, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro SP 13.506-900, Brazil
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Midgut transcriptome assessment of the cockroach-hunting wasp Ampulex compressa (Apoidea: Ampulicidae). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252221. [PMID: 34166422 PMCID: PMC8224941 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerald jewel wasp Ampulex compressa (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae) is a solitary wasp that is widely known for its specialized hunting of cockroaches as larvae provision. Adult wasps mainly feed on pollen and nectar, while their larvae feed on the cockroachs’ body, first as ecto- and later as endoparsitoids. Little is known about the expression of digestive, detoxification and stress-response-related genes in the midgut of A. compressa, or about its transcriptional versatility between life stages. To identify gut-biased genes related to digestion, detoxification, and stress response, we explored the midgut transcriptome of lab-reared A. compressa, for both adults and larvae, by focusing on the top 100 significantly up- and down-regulated genes. From the top 100 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we identified 39 and 36 DEGs putatively related to digestion and detoxification in the adult wasps and larvae, respectively. The two carbohydrases alpha-glucosidase (containing an alpha-amylase domain) and glycosyl hydrolase family 31, as well as the two proteinases chymotrypsin and trypsin, revealed the highest gene diversity. We identified six significant DEGs related to detoxification, which comprise glutathione S-transferase, cytochrome P450s and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase. The gene expression levels that were significantly expressed in both life stages vary strongly between life stages, as found in genes encoding for chymotrypsin and trypsin or glycosyl hydrolases family 31. The number of genes related to alpha-glucosidase, glycosyl hydrolase family 31, and cytochrome P450s was found to be similar across nine reference hymenopteran species, except for the identified glycosyl hydrolase family 31 gene, which was absent in all reference bee species. Phylogenetic analyses of the latter candidate genes revealed that they cluster together with their homologous genes found in the reference hymenopteran species. These identified candidate genes provide a basis for future comparative genomic and proteomic studies on (ontogenetic) dietary transitions in Hymenoptera.
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Sperm transfer through hyper-elongated beetle penises - morphology and theoretical approaches. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10238. [PMID: 31308392 PMCID: PMC6629632 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46211-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects possess a hyper-elongated intromittent organ with a diameter of only a few micrometers. Using morphological and theoretical approaches, we investigated the biomechanics of sperm transfer through such organs by calculating (1) how far and how fast sperm could fill in the penis by capillary action, (2) how much capillary pressure is generated in the penis, and (3) how much pressure is needed to pump sperm out of the penis. The results enabled us to propose the following hypotheses: (1) penile filling basically occurs by capillary action, and (2) sperm transport to females occurs by contracting the sperm pump muscles or by active propulsion of spermatozoa. Potential experimental approaches to test these hypotheses are discussed.
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Arvidson R, Kaiser M, Lee SS, Urenda JP, Dail C, Mohammed H, Nolan C, Pan S, Stajich JE, Libersat F, Adams ME. Parasitoid Jewel Wasp Mounts Multipronged Neurochemical Attack to Hijack a Host Brain. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:99-114. [PMID: 30293061 PMCID: PMC6317478 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.000908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasitoid emerald jewel wasp Ampulex compressa induces a compliant state of hypokinesia in its host, the American cockroach Periplaneta americana through direct envenomation of the central nervous system (CNS). To elucidate the biochemical strategy underlying venom-induced hypokinesia, we subjected the venom apparatus and milked venom to RNAseq and proteomics analyses to construct a comprehensive "venome," consisting of 264 proteins. Abundant in the venome are enzymes endogenous to the host brain, including M13 family metalloproteases, phospholipases, adenosine deaminase, hyaluronidase, and neuropeptide precursors. The amphipathic, alpha-helical ampulexins are among the most abundant venom components. Also prominent are members of the Toll/NF-κB signaling pathway, including proteases Persephone, Snake, Easter, and the Toll receptor ligand Spätzle. We find evidence that venom components are processed following envenomation. The acidic (pH∼4) venom contains unprocessed neuropeptide tachykinin and corazonin precursors and is conspicuously devoid of the corresponding processed, biologically active peptides. Neutralization of venom leads to appearance of mature tachykinin and corazonin, suggesting that the wasp employs precursors as a prolonged time-release strategy within the host brain post-envenomation. Injection of fully processed tachykinin into host cephalic ganglia elicits short-term hypokinesia. Ion channel modifiers and cytolytic toxins are absent in A. compressa venom, which appears to hijack control of the host brain by introducing a "storm" of its own neurochemicals. Our findings deepen understanding of the chemical warfare underlying host-parasitoid interactions and in particular neuromodulatory mechanisms that enable manipulation of host behavior to suit the nutritional needs of opportunistic parasitoid progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Arvidson
- From the ‡Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Maayan Kaiser
- §Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Sang Soo Lee
- ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; ‖Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Jean-Paul Urenda
- ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Christopher Dail
- ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Haroun Mohammed
- ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Cebrina Nolan
- **Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Songqin Pan
- ‡‡Institute for Integrated Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Jason E Stajich
- §§Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Frederic Libersat
- §Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Michael E Adams
- From the ‡Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; ‖Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; **Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; ‡‡Institute for Integrated Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;; ¶Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521;.
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Tang BZ, Meng E, Zhang HJ, Zhang XM, Asgari S, Lin YP, Lin YY, Peng ZQ, Qiao T, Zhang XF, Hou YM. Combination of label-free quantitative proteomics and transcriptomics reveals intraspecific venom variation between the two strains of Tetrastichus brontispae, a parasitoid of two invasive beetles. J Proteomics 2018; 192:37-53. [PMID: 30098407 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The venom apparatus is a conserved organ in parasitoids that shows adaptations correlated with life-style diversification. Combining transcriptomics and label-free quantitative proteomics, here we explored the venom apparatus components of the endoparasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae (Eulophidae), and provide a comparison of the venom apparatus proteomes between its two closely related strains, T. brontispae-Octodonta nipae (Tb-On) and T. brontispae-Brontispa longissima (Tb-Bl). Tb-Bl targets the B. longissima pupa as its habitual host. However, Tb-On is an experimental derivative of Tb-Bl, which has been exposed to the O. nipae pupa as host consecutively for over 40 generation. Results showed that approximately 1505 venom proteins were identified in the T. brontispae venom apparatus. The extracts contained novel venom proteins, such as 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 4. A comparative venom proteome analysis revealed that significant quantitative and qualitative differences in venom composition exist between the two strains; although the most abundant venom proteins were shared between them. The differentially produced proteins were mainly enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis and melanotic encapsulation response. Six of these enriched proteins presented increased levels in Tb-On, and this result was validated by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) analysis. Overall, our data reveal that venom composition can evolve quickly and respond to host selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-Zhen Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - E Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Hua-Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xiao-Mei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Sassan Asgari
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Ya-Ping Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yun-Ying Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zheng-Qiang Peng
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Ting Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xia-Fang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - You-Ming Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
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Moore EL, Arvidson R, Banks C, Urenda JP, Duong E, Mohammed H, Adams ME. Ampulexins: A New Family of Peptides in Venom of the Emerald Jewel Wasp, Ampulex compressa. Biochemistry 2018; 57:1907-1916. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Gnatzy W, Volknandt W, Dzwoneck A. Egg-laying behavior and morphological and chemical characterization of egg surface and egg attachment glue of the digger wasp Ampulex compressa (Hymenoptera, Ampulicidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2018; 47:74-81. [PMID: 29199047 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
For providing their offspring females of the digger wasp species Ampulex compressa hunt cockroaches, paralyze them and attach as a rule one egg to the coxa of one of the mid legs of their prey. We observed the egg-laying behavior and examined with light- and scanning microscopy (i) nearly mature eggs from ovaries of freshly dissected females and (ii) eggs immediately after their deposition on the coxae of their prey. The length of the white bean-shaped eggs varied between 2.2 and 3.0 mm, their diameter between 0.66 and 0.72 mm, and their weight between 345 and 832 μg. The surface of fresh, untreated eggs shows even at higher magnifications (>20.000×) a smooth appearance. However, after conventional fixation, dehydration with ethyl-alcohol and critical-point drying the egg-surface exhibited a little bit texture. The eggs are at two-third of their underside glued to the coxa of the prey. With the naked eye the glue appears as a compact mass. The eggs may be mechanically removed from the substrate (their attachment site); however, in doing so the viscous attachment glue appears in a more fibrous consistence. The polypeptide composition washed off the egg surface and the glue revealed no similarities, whereas the molecular mass of two polypeptides were similar between glue and the Dufour's gland contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Gnatzy
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Biologicum, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Walter Volknandt
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Biologicum, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anja Dzwoneck
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Biologicum, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Functional morphology and evolution of the hyper-elongated intromittent organ in Cassida leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). ZOOLOGY 2017; 120:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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