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Villalobos Sambucaro MJ, Alzugaray ME, Ronderos JR. Mechanisms controlling haemolymph circulation under resting conditions in the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247801. [PMID: 38989599 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Chagas disease vectors can ingest several times their own volume in blood with each meal. This ad libitum feeding causes an intense process of diuresis, inducing the insect to eliminate a large quantity of urine and faeces. To ensure diuresis, the speed of circulation of the haemolymph is increased. The Triatominae circulatory system is quite simple, including the dorsal vessel, which pumps haemolymph in an anterograde direction. The return is caused by peristaltic contractions of the anterior midgut. Triatominae insects can spend several weeks without feeding, meaning that most of the time, the insect is in a resting condition. Although the mechanisms controlling the circulation of the haemolymph during post-prandial diuresis have been largely analysed, the mechanisms controlling it during resting conditions are poorly understood. In this study, we analysed several canonical pathways (i.e. L-type VGCC, GPCR, RyR, IP3R) and a novel system represented by the recently characterized Piezo proteins. Our results show that during the resting condition, haemolymph circulation depends on a cross-talk between myogenic activity, inhibitory and stimulatory cellular messengers, and Piezo proteins. This report also unveils for the first time the existence of a putative Piezo protein in Hemiptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET, Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET, Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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José Villalobos Sambucaro M, Pacheco C, Rafael Ronderos J. Allatotropic peptides modulate muscle contraction of the female reproductive system in Rhodnius prolixus (STÄL). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 343:114358. [PMID: 37567349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) acts as a myoregulator at the level of the dorsal vessel (DV) and midgut (MG) in triatominae insects. Previous analyses of the expression of the AT receptor in Rhodnius prolixus showed that AT is expressed in the DV and MG, but also in the reproductive system in females. To further study the activity of AT on female reproductive organs we analyzed the response by adult females in different physiological conditions, including unfed (virgin and mated), and fed mated females (gravid), to doses ranging between 10-14 and 10-6M. Myoregulatory activity was evaluated in vivo, by recording independently the frequency of contractions of each organ after treatment. The results show that the effect of AT varies depending on the organs and on the physiological state of the female. Whilst unfed virgin females did not show response to the peptide for neither of the applied doses, the ovaries showed a differential response, presenting the highest frequency of contractions in gravid individuals. An increase in the frequency of contractions of the oviducts was only observed in mated females. Uterus and spermathecae responded in both gravid and mated females, with maximum activity in the latter. In the bursa, responses were only detected in gravid females. The differential response of the organs seems to be associated to particular moments along the reproductive cycle, such as with the spermathecae that reacted to AT in both unfed mated and gravid females, when the movement of spermatozoids is physiologically crucial. Testes and accessory glands of the male, expressed the mRNA of AT precursor, suggesting that the male would modulate the contractile behavior of the female reproductive system after copula. The ovaries also expressed AT mRNA suggesting the existence of a paracrine/autocrine system modulating muscle contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Concejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Cristian Pacheco
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Post-doctoral fellow (FONCyT), Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Alzugaray ME, Gavazzi MV, Ronderos JR. G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction and Ca 2+ signaling pathways of the allatotropin/orexin system in Hydra. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113637. [PMID: 33017583 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropin is a pleiotropic peptide originally characterized in insects. The existence of AT neuropeptide signaling was proposed in other invertebrates. In fact, we previously proposed the presence of an AT-like system regulating feeding behavior in Hydra sp. Even in insects, the information about the AT signaling pathway is incomplete. The aim of this study is to analyze the signaling cascade activated by AT in Hydra plagiodesmica using a pharmacological approach. The results show the involvement of Ca2+ and IP3 signaling in the transduction pathway of the peptide. Furthermore, we confirm the existence of a GPCR system involved in this pathway, that would be coupled to a Gq subfamily of Gα protein, which activates a PLC, inducing an increase in IP3 and cytosolic Ca2+. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first in vivo approach to study the overall signaling pathway and intracellular events involved in the myoregulatory effect of AT in Hydra sp.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - María Victoria Gavazzi
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), Argentina.
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Zhang F, Wang J, Thakur K, Hu F, Zhang JG, Jiang XF, An SH, Jiang H, Jiang L, Wei ZJ. Isolation functional characterization of allatotropin receptor from the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. Peptides 2019; 122:169874. [PMID: 29198647 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2017.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Insect allatotropin (AT) plays multi-functions including regulation of juvenile hormone synthesis, growth, development and reproduction. In the present study, the full-length cDNA encoding the AT receptor was cloned from the brain of Helicoverpa armigera (Helar-ATR). The ORF of Helar-ATR exhibited the characteristic seven transmembrane domains of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and was close to the ATR of Manduca sexta in the phylogenetic tree. The Helar-ATR expressed in vertebrate cell lines can be activated by Helar-AT and each Helar-ATL in a dose-responsive manner, in the following order: Helar-ATLI > Helar-ATLII > Helar-AT > Helar-ATLIII. Helar-ATLI and Helar-ATLII represented the functional ligands to Helar-ATR in vitro, while Helar-AT and Helar-ATLIII behaved as partial agonists. The in vitro functional analysis suggested that the Helar-ATR signal was mainly coupled with elevated levels of Ca2+ and independent of cAMP levels. Helar-ATR mRNA in larvae showed the highest level in the brain, followed by the thorax ganglion, abdomen ganglion, fat body and midgut. Helar-ATR mRNA levels in the complex of the brain-thoracic-abdomen ganglion on the 2nd day of the larval stage and during later pupal stages were observed to be relatively higher than in the wandering and early pupal stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Zhang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Jun Wang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Kiran Thakur
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Fei Hu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Jian-Guo Zhang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Xing-Fu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shi-Hen An
- College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Hongbo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Li Jiang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Zhao-Jun Wei
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
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Alzugaray ME, Gavazzi MV, Ronderos JR. Calcium signalling in early divergence of Metazoa: mechanisms involved in the control of muscle-like cell contraction in Hydra plagiodesmica. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Our laboratory has previously examined the effect of neuropeptides on the activity of the hypostome of the hydra Hydra plagiodesmica Dioni, 1968 (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa). These results showed that the hypostome, a structure extruded during feeding, responds to myoregulatory peptides and that this mechanism might be regulated by changes in the cytosolic levels of calcium (Ca2+). We analyse now the ways in which Ca2+ modulates hypostome activity during feeding. The use of calcium chelators confirms that Ca2+ is relevant in inducing hypostome extrusion. The assay of compounds that modulate the activity of Ca2+ channels in the endoplasmic reticulum suggests that, beyond the extracellular influx of calcium, intracellular sources of the ion are involved and might include both ryanodine receptors (RyR) and the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). Bioinformatic searches based on sequences of RyR and IP3R of humans (Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758) show that IP3Rs are present in all groups analysed, including Fungi and Choanoflagellata. Although H. plagiodesmica responds to caffeine and ryanodine, which are known to modulate RyRs, this family of receptors seems not to be predicted in Cnidaria, suggesting that this phylum either lacks these kinds of channels or that they possess a different structure compared with those possessed by other Metazoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM–UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina
| | - María Victoria Gavazzi
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM–UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM–UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
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Alzugaray ME, Bruno MC, Villalobos Sambucaro MJ, Ronderos JR. The Evolutionary History of The Orexin/Allatotropin GPCR Family: from Placozoa and Cnidaria to Vertebrata. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10217. [PMID: 31308431 PMCID: PMC6629687 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46712-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidic messengers constitute a highly diversified group of intercellular messengers widely distributed in nature that regulate a great number of physiological processes in Metazoa. Being crucial for life, it seem that they have appeared in the ancestral group from which Metazoa evolved, and were highly conserved along the evolutionary process. Peptides act mainly through G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a family of transmembrane molecules. GPCRs are also widely distributed in nature being present in metazoan, but also in Choanoflagellata and Fungi. Among GPCRs, the Allatotropin/Orexin (AT/Ox) family is particularly characterized by the presence of the DRW motif in the second intracellular loop (IC Loop 2), and seems to be present in Cnidaria, Placozoa and in Bilateria, suggesting that it was present in the common ancestor of Metazoa. Looking for the evolutionary history of this GPCRs we searched for corresponding sequences in public databases. Our results suggest that AT/Ox receptors were highly conserved along evolutionary process, and that they are characterized by the presence of the E/DRWYAI motif at the IC Loop 2. Phylogenetic analyses show that AT/Ox family of receptors reflects evolutionary relationships that agree with current phylogenetic understanding in Actinopterygii and Sauropsida, including also the largely discussed position of Testudines.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia Bruno
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Matsumoto S, Kutsuna N, Daubnerová I, Roller L, Žitňan D, Nagasawa H, Nagata S. Enteroendocrine peptides regulate feeding behavior via controlling intestinal contraction of the silkworm Bombyx mori. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219050. [PMID: 31260470 PMCID: PMC6602202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous study demonstrated that predominant feeding inhibitory effects were found in the crude extracts of foregut and midgut of the silkworm Bombyx mori larvae. To address the entero-intestinal control crucial for the regulation of insect feeding behavior, the present study identified and functionally characterized feeding inhibitory peptides from the midgut of B. mori larvae. Purification and structural analyses revealed that the predominant inhibitory factors in the crude extracts were allatotropin (AT) and GSRYamide after its C-terminal sequence. In situ hybridization revealed that AT and GSRYamide were expressed in enteroendocrine cells in the posterior and anterior midgut, respectively. Receptor screening using Ca2+-imaging technique showed that the B. mori neuropeptide G protein-coupled receptor (BNGR)-A19 and -A22 acted as GSRYamide receptors and BNGR-A5 acted as an additional AT receptor. Expression analyses of these receptors and the results of the peristaltic motion assay indicated that these peptides participated in the regulation of intestinal contraction. Exposure of pharynx and ileum to AT and GSRYamide inhibited spontaneous contraction in ad libitum-fed larvae, while exposure of pharynx to GSRYamide did not inhibit contraction in non-fed larvae, indicating that the feeding state changed their sensitivity to inhibitory peptides. These different responses corresponded to different expression levels of their receptors in the pharynx. In addition, injection of AT and GSRYamide decreased esophageal contraction frequencies in the melamine-treated transparent larvae. These findings strongly suggest that these peptides exert feeding inhibitory effects by modulating intestinal contraction in response to their feeding state transition, eventually causing feeding termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumihiro Matsumoto
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Natsumaro Kutsuna
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ivana Daubnerová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Roller
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Hiromichi Nagasawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Nagata
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Dickinson PS, Armstrong MK, Dickinson ES, Fernandez R, Miller A, Pong S, Powers BW, Pupo-Wiss A, Stanhope ME, Walsh PJ, Wiwatpanit T, Christie AE. Three members of a peptide family are differentially distributed and elicit differential state-dependent responses in a pattern generator-effector system. J Neurophysiol 2018; 119:1767-1781. [PMID: 29384453 PMCID: PMC6008092 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00850.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
C-type allatostatins (AST-Cs) are pleiotropic neuropeptides that are broadly conserved within arthropods; the presence of three AST-C isoforms, encoded by paralog genes, is common. However, these peptides are hypothesized to act through a single receptor, thereby exerting similar bioactivities within each species. We investigated this hypothesis in the American lobster, Homarus americanus, mapping the distributions of AST-C isoforms within relevant regions of the nervous system and digestive tract, and comparing their modulatory influences on the cardiac neuromuscular system. Immunohistochemistry showed that in the pericardial organ, a neuroendocrine release site, AST-C I and/or III and AST-C II are contained within distinct populations of release terminals. Moreover, AST-C I/III-like immunoreactivity was seen in midgut epithelial endocrine cells and the cardiac ganglion (CG), whereas AST-C II-like immunoreactivity was not seen in these tissues. These data suggest that AST-C I and/or III can modulate the CG both locally and hormonally; AST-C II likely acts on the CG solely as a hormonal modulator. Physiological studies demonstrated that all three AST-C isoforms can exert differential effects, including both increases and decreases, on contraction amplitude and frequency when perfused through the heart. However, in contrast to many state-dependent modulatory changes, the changes in contraction amplitude and frequency elicited by the AST-Cs were not functions of the baseline parameters. The responses to AST-C I and III, neither of which is COOH-terminally amidated, are more similar to one another than they are to the responses elicited by AST-C II, which is COOH-terminally amidated. These results suggest that the three AST-C isoforms are differentially distributed in the lobster nervous system/midgut and can elicit distinct behaviors from the cardiac neuromuscular system, with particular structural features, e.g., COOH-terminal amidation, likely important in determining the effects of the peptides. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Multiple isoforms of many peptides exert similar effects on neural circuits. In this study we show that each of the three isoforms of C-type allatostatin (AST-C) can exert differential effects, including both increases and decreases in contraction amplitude and frequency, on the lobster cardiac neuromuscular system. The distribution of effects elicited by the nonamidated isoforms AST-C I and III are more similar to one another than to the effects of the amidated AST-C II.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Brian W Powers
- Department of Biology, Bowdoin College , Brunswick, Maine
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew E Christie
- Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa , Honolulu, Hawaii
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Alzugaray ME, Ronderos JR. Allatoregulatory-like systems and changes in cytosolic Ca 2+ modulate feeding behavior in Hydra. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 258:70-78. [PMID: 28733226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) and allatostatin-C (AST-C) are neuropeptides originally characterized by their ability to modulate the secretion of juvenile hormones in insects. Beyond the allatoregulatory function, these neuropeptides are pleiotropic acting as myoregulators not only in insects, but also in other groups of invertebrates. We have previously proposed the existence of AT and AST-C like systems in Hydra sp., a member of the phylum Cnidaria, which is a basal group of Metazoa, sharing a common ancestor with Bilateria. In the present study we analyze the regulatory effects of both peptides on the activity of the hypostome during feeding in Hydra sp. Furthermore, the importance of changes in the cytosolic Ca2+ levels involved in the response of the hypostome were analyzed. Physiological assays showed that while the presence of food or treatment with AT stimulates the extrusion of the hypostome, AST-C has an inhibitory effect on the behavior induced by both, food and AT. These facts suggest that both systems participate in the regulatory mechanisms associated with feeding and, as in insects, AST-C and AT may exert opposite effects. The use of thapsigargin (TG) and nifedipine, two compounds that modify the levels of cytosolic Ca2+, showed that changes in the levels of this ion are involved in the regulation of the activity of the hypostome. Indeed, these results suggest that the two basic mechanisms operating to increase the cytosolic levels of Ca2+ (i.e. the influx from the extracellular space and the release from endoplasmic reticulum) are relevant for the extrusion of the hypostome. Like in insects, the treatment with TG counteracted the effect of AST-C, suggesting that this peptide acts by reducing cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Furthermore, nifedipine prevented the myostimulatory effect of AT, showing that the effect of this peptide depends on the influx of Ca2+ throughout voltage-gated calcium channels. Altogether, these results suggest that the Allatotropin/Orexin and Allatostatin/Somatostatin regulatory systems could represent an ancestral mechanisms regulating hypostome activity and feeding behavior in Cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina.
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Bednár B, Roller L, Čižmár D, Mitrová D, Žitňan D. Developmental and sex-specific differences in expression of neuropeptides derived from allatotropin gene in the silkmoth Bombyx mori. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 368:259-275. [PMID: 28091775 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-016-2556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) and related neuropeptides are widespread bioactive molecules that regulate development, food intake and muscle contractions in insects and other invertebrates. In moths, alternative splicing of the at gene generates three mRNA precursors encoding AT with different combinations of three structurally similar AT-like peptides (ATLI-III). We used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to map the differential expression of these transcripts during the postembryonic development of Bombyx mori. Transcript encoding AT alone was expressed in numerous neurons of the central nervous system and frontal ganglion, whereas transcripts encoding AT with ATLs were produced by smaller specific subgroups of neurons in larval stages. Metamorphosis was associated with considerable developmental changes and sex-specific differences in the expression of all transcripts. The most notable was the appearance of AT/ATL transcripts (1) in the brain lateral neurosecretory cells producing prothoracicotropic hormone; (2) in the male-specific cluster of about 20 neurons in the posterior region of the terminal abdominal ganglion; (3) in the female-specific medial neurons in the abdominal ganglia AG2-7. Immunohistochemical staining showed that these neurons produced a mixture of various neuropeptides and innervated diverse peripheral organs. Our data suggest that AT/ATL neuropeptides are involved in multiple stage- and sex-specific functions during the development of B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Bednár
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Roller
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Čižmár
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Diana Mitrová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Traverso L, Sierra I, Sterkel M, Francini F, Ons S. Neuropeptidomics in Triatoma infestans. Comparative transcriptomic analysis among triatomines. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 110:83-98. [PMID: 27993629 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Chagas' disease, affecting up to 6-7 million people worldwide, is transmitted to humans through the feces of triatomine kissing bugs. From these, Rhodnius prolixus, Triatoma dimidiata, Triatoma infestans and Triatoma pallidipennis are important vectors distributed throughout the Latin American subcontinent. Resistance to pyrethroids has been developed by some triatomine populations, especially T. infestans, obstructing their control. Given their role in the regulation of physiological processes, neuroendocrine-derived factors have been proposed as a source of molecular targets for new-generation insecticides. However, the involvement of neuropeptides in insecticide metabolism and resistance in insects has been poorly studied. In the present work, the sequences of 20 neuropeptide precursor genes in T. infestans, 16 in T. dimidiata, and 13 in T. pallidipennis detected in transcriptomic databases are reported, and a comparative analysis in triatomines is presented. A total of 59 neuropeptides were validated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in brain and nervous ganglia from T. infestans, revealing the existence of differential post-translational modifications, extended and truncated forms. The results suggest a high sequence conservation in some neuropeptide systems in triatomines, whereas remarkable differences occur in several others within the core domains. Comparisons of the basal expression levels for several neuropeptide precursor genes between pyrethroid sensitive and resistant population of T. infestans are also presented here, in order to introduce a proof of concept to test the involvement of neuropeptides in insecticide resistance. From the precursors tested, NVP and ITG peptides are significantly higher expressed in the resistant population. To our knowledge, this is the first report to associate differential neuropeptide expression with insecticide resistance. The information provided here contributes to creating conditions to widely extend functional and genetic studies involving neuropeptides in triatomines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucila Traverso
- Laboratory of Insect Neurobiology, Regional Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 N(o). 1459, CP: 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ivana Sierra
- Laboratory of Insect Neurobiology, Regional Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 N(o). 1459, CP: 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Marcos Sterkel
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, bloco D. Prédio do CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Flavio Francini
- Center of Experimental and Applied Endocrinology, CONICET-CCT La Plata, National University of La Plata, 60 and 120 Street, CP: 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Sheila Ons
- Laboratory of Insect Neurobiology, Regional Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 N(o). 1459, CP: 1900, La Plata, Argentina.
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Alzugaray ME, Hernández-Martínez S, Ronderos JR. Somatostatin signaling system as an ancestral mechanism: Myoregulatory activity of an Allatostatin-C peptide in Hydra. Peptides 2016; 82:67-75. [PMID: 27288244 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The coordination of physiological processes requires precise communication between cells. Cellular interactions allow cells to be functionally related, facilitating the maintaining of homeostasis. Neuropeptides functioning as intercellular signals are widely distributed in Metazoa. It is assumed that neuropeptides were the first intercellular transmitters, appearing early during the evolution. In Cnidarians, neuropeptides are mainly involved in neurotransmission, acting directly or indirectly on epithelial muscle cells, and thereby controlling coordinated movements. Allatostatins are a group of chemically unrelated neuropeptides that were originally characterized based on their ability to inhibit juvenil hormone synthesis in insects. Allatostatin-C has pleiotropic functions, acting as myoregulator in several insects. In these studies, we analyzed the myoregulatory effect of Aedes aegypti Allatostatin-C in Hydra sp., a member of the phylum Cnidaria. Allatostatin-C peptide conjugated with Qdots revealed specifically distributed cell populations that respond to the peptide in different regions of hydroids. In vivo physiological assays using Allatostatin-C showed that the peptide induced changes in shape and length in tentacles, peduncle and gastrovascular cavity. The observed changes were dose and time dependent suggesting the physiological nature of the response. Furthermore, at highest doses, Allatostatin-C induced peristaltic movements of the gastrovascular cavity resembling those that occur during feeding. In silico search of putative Allatostatin-C receptors in Cnidaria showed that genomes predict the existence of proteins of the somatostatin/Allatostatin-C receptors family. Altogether, these results suggest that Allatostatin-C has myoregulatory activity in Hydra sp, playing a role in the control of coordinated movements during feeding, indicating that Allatostatin-C/Somatostatin based signaling might be an ancestral mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina
| | - Salvador Hernández-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas - Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CISEI-INSP), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Villalobos-Sambucaro MJ, Diambra LA, Noriega FG, Ronderos JR. Allatostatin-C antagonizes the synergistic myostimulatory effect of allatotropin and serotonin in Rhodnius prolixus (Stal). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 233:1-7. [PMID: 27174746 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Haematophagous insects can ingest large quantities of blood in a single meal producing a large quantity of urine in the following hours to eliminate the excess of water and mineral ions incorporated. The excretory activity of the Malpighian tubules is facilitated by an increase in haemolymph circulation as a result of the intensification of aorta contractions, combined with an increase of anterior midgut peristaltic waves. We have recently shown that haemolymph circulation during post-prandial diuresis is modulated by the synergistic activity of allatotropin (AT) and serotonin, resulting in an increase in aorta and crop contraction rates. In the present study we describe the antagonistic effect of allatostatin-C (AST-C) on the increase of aorta frequency of contractions induced by serotonin/AT in Rhodnius prolixus. The administration of AST-C counteracted the increase in the frequency induced by the treatment with serotonin/AT, but did not affect the increase in frequency induced by the administration of serotonin alone, suggesting that AST-C is altering the synergism between serotonin and AT. Furthermore, the administration of AST-C during post-prandial diuresis decreases the number of peristaltic waves of the anterior midgut. The AST-C putative receptor is expressed in the hindgut, midgut and dorsal vessel, three critical organs involved in post-prandial diuresis. All together these findings provide evidence that AST-C plays a key role as a myoregulatory and cardioregulatory peptide in R. prolixus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fernando Gabriel Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Biomolecular Science Institute, Florida International University, Miami, USA
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Villalobos-Sambucaro MJ, Lorenzo-Figueiras AN, Riccillo FL, Diambra LA, Noriega FG, Ronderos JR. Allatotropin modulates myostimulatory and cardioacceleratory activities in Rhodnius prolixus (Stal). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124131. [PMID: 25897783 PMCID: PMC4405368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Haematophagous insects can ingest large quantities of blood in a single meal and eliminate high volumes of urine in the next few hours. This rise in diuresis is possible because the excretory activity of the Malpighian tubules is facilitated by an increase in haemolymph circulation as a result of intensification of aorta contractions combined with an increase of the anterior midgut peristaltic waves. It has been previously described that haemolymph circulation during post-prandial diuresis is stimulated by the synergistic activity of allatotropin (AT) and serotonin in the kissing bug Triatoma infestans; resulting in an increase in aorta contractions. In the same species, AT stimulates anterior midgut and rectum muscle contractions to mix urine and feces and facilitate the voiding of the rectum. Furthermore, levels of AT in midgut and Malpighian tubules increased in the afternoon when insects are getting ready for nocturnal feeding. In the present study we describe the synergistic effect of AT and serotonin increasing the frequency of contractions of the aorta in Rhodnius prolixus. The basal frequency of contractions of the aorta in the afternoon is higher that the observed during the morning, suggesting the existence of a daily rhythmic activity. The AT receptor is expressed in the rectum, midgut and dorsal vessel, three critical organs involved in post-prandial diuresis. All together these findings provide evidence that AT plays a role as a myoregulatory and cardioacceleratory peptide in R. prolixus.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos-Sambucaro
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Fernando Luis Riccillo
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Fernando Gabriel Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Masood M, Orchard I. Molecular characterization and possible biological roles of allatotropin in Rhodnius prolixus. Peptides 2014; 53:159-71. [PMID: 24177575 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropins (ATs) are a family of neuropeptides that have been shown to stimulate the biosynthesis of juvenile hormone in certain insect species, and to have stimulatory activity on some visceral muscles. Here, we have examined the AT in Rhodnius prolixus. Molecular analysis revealed a cDNA fragment of 973 bp encoding one mature amidated AT (Rhopr-AT) with transcript levels observed in the central nervous system (CNS) and pool of fat body, trachea and associated peripheral nerves. AT-like immunoreactive neurons were found throughout the CNS and AT-like immunoreactive processes were present on some peripheral tissues. Bioassays based upon changes in hindgut and dorsal vessel contractions failed to demonstrate any myotropic effects of Rhopr-AT on these tissues; however Rhopr-AT stimulated contractions of muscles surrounding the salivary glands and secretion of saliva, as judged by the reduction in content of the cherry red saliva from the salivary glands. Serotonin stimulated an increase in peristaltic contractions of the gland though no secretion was observed. Co-application of Rhopr-AT and serotonin resulted in a more rapid secretion than either chemical alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Masood
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Ian Orchard
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
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Alzugaray ME, Adami ML, Diambra LA, Hernandez-Martinez S, Damborenea C, Noriega FG, Ronderos JR. Allatotropin: an ancestral myotropic neuropeptide involved in feeding. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77520. [PMID: 24143240 PMCID: PMC3797082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cell-cell interactions are a basic principle for the organization of tissues and organs allowing them to perform integrated functions and to organize themselves spatially and temporally. Peptidic molecules secreted by neurons and epithelial cells play fundamental roles in cell-cell interactions, acting as local neuromodulators, neurohormones, as well as endocrine and paracrine messengers. Allatotropin (AT) is a neuropeptide originally described as a regulator of Juvenile Hormone synthesis, which plays multiple neural, endocrine and myoactive roles in insects and other organisms. Methods A combination of immunohistochemistry using AT-antibodies and AT-Qdot nanocrystal conjugates was used to identify immunoreactive nerve cells containing the peptide and epithelial-muscular cells targeted by AT in Hydraplagiodesmica. Physiological assays using AT and AT- antibodies revealed that while AT stimulated the extrusion of the hypostome in a dose-response fashion in starved hydroids, the activity of hypostome in hydroids challenged with food was blocked by treatments with different doses of AT-antibodies. Conclusions AT antibodies immunolabeled nerve cells in the stalk, pedal disc, tentacles and hypostome. AT-Qdot conjugates recognized epithelial-muscular cell in the same tissues, suggesting the existence of anatomical and functional relationships between these two cell populations. Physiological assays indicated that the AT-like peptide is facilitating food ingestion. Significance Immunochemical, physiological and bioinformatics evidence advocates that AT is an ancestral neuropeptide involved in myoregulatory activities associated with meal ingestion and digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM -UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariana Laura Adami
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM -UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- División Zoología Invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Luis Anibal Diambra
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Universidad Nacional de la Plata (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Salvador Hernandez-Martinez
- Centro de Investigación sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CISEI-INSP), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Cristina Damborenea
- División Zoología Invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Fernando Gabriel Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Universidad Nacional de la Plata (FCNyM -UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Universidad Nacional de la Plata (CREG-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Adami ML, Damborenea C, Ronderos JR. An allatotropin-like neuropeptide in Mesostoma ehrenbergii (Rhabdocoela, Platyhelminthes). ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-012-0146-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Caers J, Verlinden H, Zels S, Vandersmissen HP, Vuerinckx K, Schoofs L. More than two decades of research on insect neuropeptide GPCRs: an overview. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2012; 3:151. [PMID: 23226142 PMCID: PMC3510462 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on the state of the art on neuropeptide receptors in insects. Most of these receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and are involved in the regulation of virtually all physiological processes during an insect's life. More than 20 years ago a milestone in invertebrate endocrinology was achieved with the characterization of the first insect neuropeptide receptor, i.e., the Drosophila tachykinin-like receptor. However, it took until the release of the Drosophila genome in 2000 that research on neuropeptide receptors boosted. In the last decade a plethora of genomic information of other insect species also became available, leading to a better insight in the functions and evolution of the neuropeptide signaling systems and their intracellular pathways. It became clear that some of these systems are conserved among all insect species, indicating that they fulfill crucial roles in their physiological processes. Meanwhile, other signaling systems seem to be lost in several insect orders or species, suggesting that their actions were superfluous in those insects, or that other neuropeptides have taken over their functions. It is striking that the deorphanization of neuropeptide GPCRs gets much attention, but the subsequent unraveling of the intracellular pathways they elicit, or their physiological functions are often hardly examined. Especially in insects besides Drosophila this information is scarce if not absent. And although great progress made in characterizing neuropeptide signaling systems, even in Drosophila several predicted neuropeptide receptors remain orphan, awaiting for their endogenous ligand to be determined. The present review gives a précis of the insect neuropeptide receptor research of the last two decades. But it has to be emphasized that the work done so far is only the tip of the iceberg and our comprehensive understanding of these important signaling systems will still increase substantially in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Liliane Schoofs
- *Correspondence: Liliane Schoofs, Department of Biology, Research Group of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Naamsestraat 59, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. e-mail:
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Adami ML, Damborenea C, Ronderos JR. Expression of a neuropeptide similar to allatotropin in free living turbellaria (platyhelminthes). Tissue Cell 2011; 43:377-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2011.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Revised: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Vuerinckx K, Verlinden H, Lindemans M, Broeck JV, Huybrechts R. Characterization of an allatotropin-like peptide receptor in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 41:815-822. [PMID: 21742031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2010] [Revised: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Following a reverse pharmacology approach, we identified an allatotropin-like peptide receptor in Tribolium castaneum. Allatotropins are multifunctional neuropeptides initially isolated from the tabacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. They have been shown to be myoactive, to be cardio-acceleratory, to inhibit active ion transport, to stimulate juvenile hormone production and release and to be involved in the photic entrainment of the circadian clock. A tissue distribution analysis of the T. castaneum allatotropin-like peptide receptor by means of qRT-PCR revealed a prominent sexual dimorphism, the transcript levels being significantly higher in the male fat body and reproductive system. The endogenous ligand of the receptor, Trica-ATL, is able to increase the frequency and tonus of contractions in the gut and in the reproductive tract of mature red flour beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristel Vuerinckx
- Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Riccillo F, Ronderos J. Allatotropin expression during the development of the fourth instar larvae of the kissing-bug Triatoma infestans (Klüg). Tissue Cell 2010; 42:355-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2010.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2010] [Revised: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 07/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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