1
|
Gondim KC, Majerowicz D. Lipophorin: The Lipid Shuttle. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38874888 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2024_806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Insects need to transport lipids through the aqueous medium of the hemolymph to the organs in demand, after they are absorbed by the intestine or mobilized from the lipid-producing organs. Lipophorin is a lipoprotein present in insect hemolymph, and is responsible for this function. A single gene encodes an apolipoprotein that is cleaved to generate apolipophorin I and II. These are the essential protein constituents of lipophorin. In some physiological conditions, a third apolipoprotein of different origin may be present. In most insects, lipophorin transports mainly diacylglycerol and hydrocarbons, in addition to phospholipids. The fat body synthesizes and secretes lipophorin into the hemolymph, and several signals, such as nutritional, endocrine, or external agents, can regulate this process. However, the main characteristic of lipophorin is the fact that it acts as a reusable shuttle, distributing lipids between organs without being endocytosed or degraded in this process. Lipophorin interacts with tissues through specific receptors of the LDL receptor superfamily, although more recent results have shown that other proteins may also be involved. In this chapter, we describe the lipophorin structure in terms of proteins and lipids, in addition to reviewing what is known about lipoprotein synthesis and regulation. In addition, we reviewed the results investigating lipophorin's function in the movement of lipids between organs and the function of lipophorin receptors in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katia C Gondim
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - David Majerowicz
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Stryapunina I, Itoe MA, Trinh Q, Vidoudez C, Du E, Mendoza L, Hulai O, Kauffman J, Carew J, Shaw WR, Catteruccia F. Precise coordination between nutrient transporters ensures fertility in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011145. [PMID: 38285728 PMCID: PMC10852252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Females from many mosquito species feed on blood to acquire nutrients for egg development. The oogenetic cycle has been characterized in the arboviral vector Aedes aegypti, where after a bloodmeal, the lipid transporter lipophorin (Lp) shuttles lipids from the midgut and fat body to the ovaries, and a yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin (Vg), is deposited into the oocyte by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Our understanding of how the roles of these two nutrient transporters are mutually coordinated is however limited in this and other mosquito species. Here, we demonstrate that in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, Lp and Vg are reciprocally regulated in a timely manner to optimize egg development and ensure fertility. Defective lipid transport via Lp knockdown triggers abortive ovarian follicle development, leading to misregulation of Vg and aberrant yolk granules. Conversely, depletion of Vg causes an upregulation of Lp in the fat body in a manner that appears to be at least partially dependent on target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling, resulting in excess lipid accumulation in the developing follicles. Embryos deposited by Vg-depleted mothers are completely inviable, and are arrested early during development, likely due to severely reduced amino acid levels and protein synthesis. Our findings demonstrate that the mutual regulation of these two nutrient transporters is essential to safeguard fertility by ensuring correct nutrient balance in the developing oocyte, and validate Vg and Lp as two potential candidates for mosquito control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Stryapunina
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maurice A. Itoe
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Queenie Trinh
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Charles Vidoudez
- Harvard Center for Mass Spectrometry, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Esrah Du
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lydia Mendoza
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Oleksandr Hulai
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jamie Kauffman
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John Carew
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - W. Robert Shaw
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pujhari S, Hughes GL, Pakpour N, Suzuki Y, Rasgon JL. Wolbachia-induced inhibition of O'nyong nyong virus in Anopheles mosquitoes is mediated by Toll signaling and modulated by cholesterol. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.31.543096. [PMID: 37397989 PMCID: PMC10312510 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.31.543096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced host immunity and competition for metabolic resources are two main competing hypotheses for the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated pathogen inhibition in arthropods. Using an Anopheles mosquito - somatic Wolbachia infection - O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV) model, we demonstrate that the mechanism underpinning Wolbachia-mediated virus inhibition is up-regulation of the Toll innate immune pathway. However, the viral inhibitory properties of Wolbachia were abolished by cholesterol supplementation. This result was due to Wolbachia-dependent cholesterol-mediated suppression of Toll signaling rather than competition for cholesterol between Wolbachia and virus. The inhibitory effect of cholesterol was specific to Wolbachia-infected Anopheles mosquitoes and cells. These data indicate that both Wolbachia and cholesterol influence Toll immune signaling in Anopheles mosquitoes in a complex manner and provide a functional link between the host immunity and metabolic competition hypotheses for explaining Wolbachia-mediated pathogen interference in mosquitoes. In addition, these results provide a mechanistic understanding of the mode of action of Wolbachia-induced pathogen blocking in Anophelines, which is critical to evaluate the long-term efficacy of control strategies for malaria and Anopheles-transmitted arboviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujit Pujhari
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Grant L Hughes
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Yasutsugu Suzuki
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Martins LA, de Moura AS, de Miranda CM, Cardoso AF. Identification and transcriptional profile of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) lipophorin in different stages. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 111:e21959. [PMID: 35996204 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lipophorin is a major hemolymph lipoprotein found in insects with a molecular native mass of 700 kDa. In mosquitoes, two different types of apolipoproteins are characterized, apolipophorin-I (ApoLp-I, ~250 kDa) and apolipophorin-II (ApoLp-II, ~80 kDa). This concentration depends on the stage of development and the age of the insects. Lipophorins are best studied in mosquitoes of the genus Aedes and Anopheles. In this study, we analyze the lipophorin sequence and show the lipophorin purification of the Culex quinquefasciatus and the transcriptional profile of the lipophorin gene in different life cycle stages. Similar amino acid composition and molecular weights are founded in three mosquitoes species lipophorins amino acid sequence. The two subunits of purified lipophorin (Apo I and Apo II) showed molecular masses of approximately 248 and 93 kDa, like that found in other mosquitoes. A gradual increase in the lipophorin expression gene was obtained during the previtellogenic period and after feeding we obtained peak expression at 24 h after feeding. With our results, we conclude that C. quinquefasciatus protein sequence has the same characteristics as those observed in other mosquitoes and that the expression of its apolipophorins is induced by blood feeding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Almeida Martins
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Alexandre Santos de Moura
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ceres Maciel de Miranda
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departament of Biology, State University of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - André Franco Cardoso
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departament of Biology, State University of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Toprak U, Hegedus D, Doğan C, Güney G. A journey into the world of insect lipid metabolism. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 104:e21682. [PMID: 32335968 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lipid metabolism is fundamental to life. In insects, it is critical, during reproduction, flight, starvation, and diapause. The coordination center for insect lipid metabolism is the fat body, which is analogous to the vertebrate adipose tissue and liver. Fat body contains various different cell types; however, adipocytes and oenocytes are the primary cells related to lipid metabolism. Lipid metabolism starts with the hydrolysis of dietary lipids, absorption of lipid monomers, followed by lipid transport from midgut to the fat body, lipogenesis or lipolysis in the fat body, and lipid transport from fat body to other sites demanding energy. Lipid metabolism is under the control of hormones, transcription factors, secondary messengers and posttranscriptional modifications. Primarily, lipogenesis is under the control of insulin-like peptides that activate lipogenic transcription factors, such as sterol regulatory element-binding proteins, whereas lipolysis is coordinated by the adipokinetic hormone that activates lipolytic transcription factors, such as forkhead box class O and cAMP-response element-binding protein. Calcium is the primary-secondary messenger affecting lipid metabolism and has different outcomes depending on the site of lipogenesis or lipolysis. Phosphorylation is central to lipid metabolism and multiple phosphorylases are involved in lipid accumulation or hydrolysis. Although most of the knowledge of insect lipid metabolism comes from the studies on the model Drosophila; other insects, in particular those with obligatory or facultative diapause, also have great potential to study lipid metabolism. The use of these models would significantly improve our knowledge of insect lipid metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umut Toprak
- Molecular Entomology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Dwayne Hegedus
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Cansu Doğan
- Molecular Entomology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gözde Güney
- Molecular Entomology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
Lipoproteins mediate the transport of apolar lipids in the hydrophilic environment of physiological fluids such as the vertebrate blood and the arthropod hemolymph. In this overview, we will focus on the hemolymph lipoproteins in Crustacea that have received most attention during the last years: the high density lipoprotein/β-glucan binding proteins (HDL-BGBPs), the vitellogenins (VGs), the clotting proteins (CPs) and the more recently discovered large discoidal lipoproteins (dLPs). VGs are female specific lipoproteins which supply both proteins and lipids as storage material for the oocyte for later use by the developing embryo. Unusual within the invertebrates, the crustacean yolk proteins-formerly designated VGs-are more related to the ApoB type lipoproteins of vertebrates and are now termed apolipocrustaceins. The CPs on the other hand, which are present in both sexes, are related to the (sex specific) VGs of insects and vertebrates. CPs serve in hemostasis and wound closure but also as storage proteins in the oocyte. The HDL-BGBPs are the main lipid transporters, but are also involved in immune defense. Most crustacean lipoproteins belong to the family of the large lipid transfer proteins (LLTPs) such as the intracellular microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, the VGs, CPs and the dLPs. In contrast, the HDL-BGBPs do not belong to the LLTPs and their relationship with other lipoproteins is unknown. However, they originate from a common precursor with the dLPs, whose functions are as yet unknown. The majority of lipoprotein studies have focused on decapod crustaceans, especially shrimps, due to their economic importance. However, we will present evidence that the HDL-BGBPs are restricted to the decapod crustaceans which raises the question as to the main lipid transporting proteins of the other crustacean groups. The diversity of crustaceans lipoproteins thus appears to be more complex than reflected by the present state of knowledge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Hoeger
- Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Sven Schenk
- MAX F. PERUTZ LABORATORIES, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9/4, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gondim KC, Atella GC, Pontes EG, Majerowicz D. Lipid metabolism in insect disease vectors. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 101:108-123. [PMID: 30171905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
More than a third of the world population is at constant risk of contracting some insect-transmitted disease, such as Dengue fever, Zika virus disease, malaria, Chagas' disease, African trypanosomiasis, and others. Independent of the life cycle of the pathogen causing the disease, the insect vector hematophagous habit is a common and crucial trait for the transmission of all these diseases. This lifestyle is unique, as hematophagous insects feed on blood, a diet that is rich in protein but relatively poor in lipids and carbohydrates, in huge amounts and low frequency. Another unique feature of these insects is that blood meal triggers essential metabolic processes, as molting and oogenesis and, in this way, regulates the expression of various genes that are involved in these events. In this paper, we review current knowledge of the physiology and biochemistry of lipid metabolism in insect disease vectors, comparing with classical models whenever possible. We address lipid digestion and absorption, hemolymphatic transport, and lipid storage by the fat body and ovary. In this context, both de novo fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis are discussed, including the related fatty acid activation process and the intracellular lipid binding proteins. As lipids are stored in order to be mobilized later on, e.g. for flight activity or survivorship, lipolysis and β-oxidation are also considered. All these events need to be finely regulated, and the role of hormones in this control is summarized. Finally, we also review information about infection, when vector insect physiology is affected, and there is a crosstalk between its immune system and lipid metabolism. There is not abundant information about lipid metabolism in vector insects, and significant current gaps in the field are indicated, as well as questions to be answered in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katia C Gondim
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Georgia C Atella
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Emerson G Pontes
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - David Majerowicz
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Quantitative Real-Time PCR Analysis of Gene Transcripts of Mosquito Follicles. Methods Mol Biol 2016. [PMID: 27557577 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3795-0_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Real-time (quantitative) PCR, or QPCR, has become an indispensible tool for characterizing gene expression. Depending on the experimental design, researchers can use either the relative or absolute (standard curve) method to quantify transcript abundance. Characterizing the expression of genes in mosquito ovaries will require use of the standard curve method of quantification. Here, I describe reagents and equipment necessary to run standard curve QPCR. I also provide details on the construction of the standard linear curve and calculations required to determine transcript abundance.
Collapse
|
9
|
Dulbecco AB, Mijailovsky SJ, Girotti JR, Juárez MP. Deltamethrin Binding to Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Lipoproteins. Analysis by Solvent Bar Microextraction Coupled to Gas Chromatography. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 52:1254-1259. [PMID: 26378097 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The binding of deltamethrin (DLM) to the hemipteran Triatoma infestans (Klug) hemolymph lipoproteins was evaluated in vitro. After DLM incubation with the insect hemolymph, lipoproteins were fractioned by ultracentrifugation. DLM binding was analyzed by a microextractive technique-solvent bar microextraction-a solventless methodology to extract DLM from each lipoprotein fraction. This is a novel use of the technique applied to extract an insecticide from an insect fluid. Capillary gas chromatography with microelectron capture detection was used to detect DLM bound by the T. infestans hemolymph lipoproteins and to identify the preferred DLM carrier. We show that Lp and VHDLp I lipoproteins are mainly responsible for DLM transport in T. infestans, both in DLM-resistant and DLM-susceptible bugs. Our results also indicate that DLM amounts transported are not related to DLM susceptibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A B Dulbecco
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP, CONICET, CCT-La Plata, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - S J Mijailovsky
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP, CONICET, CCT-La Plata, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - J R Girotti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP, CONICET, CCT-La Plata, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - M P Juárez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP, CONICET, CCT-La Plata, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata 1900, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Van der Horst DJ, Rodenburg KW. Lipoprotein assembly and function in an evolutionary perspective. Biomol Concepts 2015; 1:165-83. [PMID: 25961995 DOI: 10.1515/bmc.2010.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulatory fat transport in animals relies on members of the large lipid transfer protein (LLTP) superfamily, including mammalian apolipoprotein B (apoB) and insect apolipophorin II/I (apoLp-II/I). ApoB and apoLp-II/I, constituting the structural (non-exchangeable) basis for the assembly of various lipoproteins, acquire lipids through microsomal triglyceride-transfer protein, another LLTP family member, and bind them by means of amphipathic α-helical and β-sheet structural motifs. Comparative research reveals that LLTPs evolved from the earliest animals and highlights the structural adaptations in these lipid-binding proteins. Thus, in contrast to apoB, apoLp-II/I is cleaved post-translationally by a furin, resulting in the appearance of two non-exchangeable apolipoproteins in the single circulatory lipoprotein in insects, high-density lipophorin (HDLp). The remarkable structural similarities between mammalian and insect lipoproteins notwithstanding important functional differences relate to the mechanism of lipid delivery. Whereas in mammals, partial delipidation of apoB-containing lipoproteins eventually results in endocytic uptake of their remnants, mediated by members of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family, and degradation in lysosomes, insect HDLp functions as a reusable lipid shuttle capable of alternate unloading and reloading of lipid. Also, during muscular efforts (flight activity), an HDLp-based lipoprotein shuttle provides for the transport of lipid for energy generation. Although a lipophorin receptor - a homolog of LDLR - was identified that mediates endocytic uptake of HDLp during specific developmental periods, the endocytosed lipoprotein appears to be recycled in a transferrin-like manner. These data highlight that the functional adaptations in the lipoprotein lipid carriers in mammals and insects also emerge with regard to the functioning of their cognate receptors.
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Transgenesis is an essential tool to investigate gene function and to introduce desired characters in laboratory organisms. Setting-up transgenesis in non-model organisms is challenging due to the diversity of biological life traits and due to knowledge gaps in genomic information. Some procedures will be broadly applicable to many organisms, and others have to be specifically developed for the target species. Transgenesis in disease vector mosquitoes has existed since the 2000s but has remained limited by the delicate biology of these insects. Here, we report a compilation of the transgenesis tools that we have designed for the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, including new docking strains, convenient transgenesis plasmids, a puromycin resistance selection marker, mosquitoes expressing cre recombinase, and various reporter lines defining the activity of cloned promoters. This toolbox contributed to rendering transgenesis routine in this species and is now enabling the development of increasingly refined genetic manipulations such as targeted mutagenesis. Some of the reagents and procedures reported here are easily transferable to other nonmodel species, including other disease vector or agricultural pest insects.
Collapse
|
12
|
Host Defense Peptides from Asian Frogs as Potential Clinical Therapies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2015; 4:136-59. [PMID: 27025618 PMCID: PMC4790330 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics4020136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) are currently major focal points of medical research as infectious microbes are gaining resistance to existing drugs. They are effective against multi-drug resistant pathogens due to their unique primary target, biological membranes, and their peculiar mode of action. Even though HDPs from 60 Asian frog species belonging to 15 genera have been characterized, research into these peptides is at a very early stage. The purpose of this review is to showcase the status of peptide research in Asia. Here we provide a summary of HDPs from Asian frogs.
Collapse
|
13
|
Xu X, Lai R. The chemistry and biological activities of peptides from amphibian skin secretions. Chem Rev 2015; 115:1760-846. [PMID: 25594509 DOI: 10.1021/cr4006704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology , Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Benoit JB, Yang G, Krause TB, Patrick KR, Aksoy S, Attardo GM. Lipophorin acts as a shuttle of lipids to the milk gland during tsetse fly pregnancy. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:1553-61. [PMID: 21875592 PMCID: PMC3209505 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Revised: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
During pregnancy in the viviparous tsetse fly, lipid mobilization is essential for the production of milk to feed the developing intrauterine larva. Lipophorin (Lp) functions as the major lipid transport protein in insects and closely-related arthropods. In this study, we assessed the role of Lp and the lipophorin receptor (LpR) in the lipid mobilization process during tsetse reproduction. We identified single gene sequences for GmmLp and GmmLpR from the genome of Glossinamorsitansmorsitans, and measured spatial and temporal expression of gmmlp and gmmlpr during the female reproductive cycle. Our results show that expression of gmmlp is specific to the adult fat body and larvae. In the adult female, gmmlp expression is constitutive. However transcript levels increase in the larva as it matures within the mother's uterus, reaching peak expression just prior to parturition. GmmLp was detected in the hemolymph of pregnant females and larvae, but not in the uterine fluid or larval gut contents ruling out the possibility of direct transfer of GmmLp from mother to offspring. Transcripts for gmmlpr were detected in the head, ovaries, midgut, milk gland/fat body, ovaries and developing larva. Levels of gmmlpr remain stable throughout the first and second gonotrophic cycles with a slight dip observed during the first gonotrophic cycle. GmmLpR was detected in multiple tissues, including the midgut, fat body, milk gland, spermatheca and head. Knockdown of gmmlp by RNA interference resulted in reduced hemolymph lipid levels, delayed oocyte development and extended larval gestation. Similar suppresion of gmmlpr did not significantly reduce hemolymph lipid levels or oogenesis duration, but did extend the duration of larval development. Thus, GmmLp function as the primary shuttle for lipids originating from the midgut and fat body to the ovaries and milk gland to supply resources for developing oocytes and larval nourishment, respectively. Once in the milk gland however, lipids are apparently transferred into the developing larva not by lipophorin but by another carrier lipoprotein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Benoit
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Guangxiao Yang
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Tyler B. Krause
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Kevin R. Patrick
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Corresponding author Serap Aksoy, 60 College Street, Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511,
| | - Geoffrey M. Attardo
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Martins GF, Serrão JE, Ramalho-Ortigão JM, Pimenta PFP. A comparative study of fat body morphology in five mosquito species. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2011; 106:742-7. [DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762011000600015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
|
16
|
Araujo RV, Maciel C, Hartfelder K, Capurro ML. Effects of Plasmodium gallinaceum on hemolymph physiology of Aedes aegypti during parasite development. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:265-273. [PMID: 21112329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/19/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Insect disease vectors show diminished fecundity when infected with Plasmodium. This phenomenon has already been demonstrated in laboratory models such as Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi. This study demonstrates several changes in physiological processes of A. aegypti occurring upon infection with Plasmodium gallinaceum, such as reduced ecdysteroid levels in hemolymph as well as altered expression patterns for genes involved in vitellogenesis, lipid transport and immune response. Furthermore, we could show that P. gallinaceum infected A. aegypti presented a reduction in reproductive fitness, accompanied by an activated innate immune response and increase in lipophorin expression, with the latter possibly representing a nutritional resource for Plasmodium sporozoites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Vieira Araujo
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gupta L, Noh JY, Jo YH, Oh SH, Kumar S, Noh MY, Lee YS, Cha SJ, Seo SJ, Kim I, Han YS, Barillas-Mury C. Apolipophorin-III mediates antiplasmodial epithelial responses in Anopheles gambiae (G3) mosquitoes. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15410. [PMID: 21072214 PMCID: PMC2970580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 09/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Apolipophorin-III (ApoLp-III) is known to play an important role in lipid transport and innate immunity in lepidopteran insects. However, there is no evidence of involvement of ApoLp-IIIs in the immune responses of dipteran insects such as Drosophila and mosquitoes. Methodology/Principal Findings We report the molecular and functional characterization of An. gambiae apolipophorin-III (AgApoLp-III). Mosquito ApoLp-IIIs have diverged extensively from those of lepidopteran insects; however, the predicted tertiary structure of AgApoLp-III is similar to that of Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm). We found that AgApoLp-III mRNA expression is strongly induced in the midgut of An. gambiae (G3 strain) mosquitoes in response to Plasmodium berghei infection. Furthermore, immunofluorescence stainings revealed that high levels of AgApoLp-III protein accumulate in the cytoplasm of Plasmodium-invaded cells and AgApoLp-III silencing increases the intensity of P. berghei infection by five fold. Conclusion There are broad differences in the midgut epithelial responses to Plasmodium invasion between An. gambiae strains. In the G3 strain of An. gambiae AgApoLp-III participates in midgut epithelial defense responses that limit Plasmodium infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lalita Gupta
- Mosquito Immunity and Vector Competence Unit, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ju Young Noh
- Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Yong Hun Jo
- Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Seung Han Oh
- Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Mosquito Immunity and Vector Competence Unit, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mi Young Noh
- Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Yong Seok Lee
- Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine and Frontier Inje Research for Science and Technology, Inje University, Busan, Korea
| | - Sung-Jae Cha
- Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sook Jae Seo
- Division of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea
| | - Iksoo Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Yeon Soo Han
- Department of Agricultural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
- * E-mail: (YSH); (CB-M)
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Mosquito Immunity and Vector Competence Unit, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (YSH); (CB-M)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Mendes AM, Schlegelmilch T, Cohuet A, Awono-Ambene P, De Iorio M, Fontenille D, Morlais I, Christophides GK, Kafatos FC, Vlachou D. Conserved mosquito/parasite interactions affect development of Plasmodium falciparum in Africa. PLoS Pathog 2008; 4:e1000069. [PMID: 18483558 PMCID: PMC2373770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2007] [Accepted: 04/14/2008] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In much of sub-Saharan Africa, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae is the main vector of the major human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Convenient laboratory studies have identified mosquito genes that affect positively or negatively the developmental cycle of the model rodent parasite, P. berghei. Here, we use transcription profiling and reverse genetics to explore whether five disparate mosquito gene regulators of P. berghei development are also pertinent to A. gambiae/P. falciparum interactions in semi-natural conditions, using field isolates of this parasite and geographically related mosquitoes. We detected broadly similar albeit not identical transcriptional responses of these genes to the two parasite species. Gene silencing established that two genes affect similarly both parasites: infections are hindered by the intracellular local activator of actin cytoskeleton dynamics, WASP, but promoted by the hemolymph lipid transporter, ApoII/I. Since P. berghei is not a natural parasite of A. gambiae, these data suggest that the effects of these genes have not been drastically altered by constant interaction and co-evolution of A. gambiae and P. falciparum; this conclusion allowed us to investigate further the mode of action of these two genes in the laboratory model system using a suite of genetic tools and infection assays. We showed that both genes act at the level of midgut invasion during the parasite's developmental transition from ookinete to oocyst. ApoII/I also affects the early stages of oocyst development. These are the first mosquito genes whose significant effects on P. falciparum field isolates have been established by direct experimentation. Importantly, they validate for semi-field human malaria transmission the concept of parasite antagonists and agonists. Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It impacts half the population of the world and kills 1 to 3 million people every year, the vast majority of whom are children aged below 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. There, the deadliest parasite is Plasmodium falciparum and its most important vector is the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. This study identifies for the first time specific A. gambiae genes that demonstrably regulate the density of mosquito infection by P. falciparum parasites circulating in malaria patients in Africa. These genes function in mosquito lipid transport and intracellular actin cytoskeleton dynamics, and act as an agonist and an antagonist, respectively, of the parasite ookinete-to-oocyst developmental transition. Importantly, our study validates for P. falciparum the concept of mosquito genes that support or hinder parasite development, a concept that we defined previously using a laboratory model system. Thus, the work constitutes a major contribution to understanding meaningful mosquito/parasite interactions in natural transmission conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio M. Mendes
- Imperial College London, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Timm Schlegelmilch
- Imperial College London, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Cohuet
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Laboratoire de Lutte contre les Insectes Nuisibles, UR 016, BP 64501, Montpellier, France
| | - Parfait Awono-Ambene
- Organisation de Coordination de la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Paludisme, BP 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Maria De Iorio
- Imperial College London, Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Didier Fontenille
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Laboratoire de Lutte contre les Insectes Nuisibles, UR 016, BP 64501, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Morlais
- Organisation de Coordination de la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Paludisme, BP 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - George K. Christophides
- Imperial College London, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fotis C. Kafatos
- Imperial College London, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (FCK); (DV)
| | - Dina Vlachou
- Imperial College London, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (FCK); (DV)
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Juárez MP, Fernández GC. Cuticular hydrocarbons of triatomines. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2007; 147:711-730. [PMID: 17046303 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2006] [Revised: 08/22/2006] [Accepted: 08/26/2006] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Triatomine insects (Hemiptera) are the vectors of Chagas disease. Their cuticular surface is covered by a thin layer of lipids, mainly hydrocarbons, wax esters, fatty alcohols, and free or esterified fatty acids. These lipids play a major role in preventing a lethal desiccation, altering the absorption of chemicals and microorganism penetration, they also participate in chemical communication events. Lipid components are biosynthetically related, the synthesis of long chain and very long chain fatty acids was first shown in the integument of Triatoma infestans through the concerted action of fatty acid synthases (FAS's) and fatty acyl-CoA elongases. A final decarboxylation step produces the corresponding hydrocarbon. Capillary gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses showed that cuticular hydrocarbons of Triatominae comprise saturated straight and methyl-branched chains, from 18 to more than 43 carbon atoms. Odd-chain hydrocarbons, mostly from 27 to 33 carbons, are the major straight chains. Different isomers of mono, di, tri, and tetramethylcomponents, mostly from 29 to 39 atoms in the carbon skeleton, account for the major methyl-branched hydrocarbons. The presence, absence, and relative quantities of these hydrocarbons represent characters for their chemical phenotype, and are useful for differentiating genera, species and populations. In this review, we will discuss the metabolic pathways involved in hydrocarbon formation, and their structure, together with their role in insect survival. We will also review the utility of cuticular hydrocarbon fingerprints in chemotaxonomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M P Juárez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata, 1900, Argentina.
| | - G C Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata, 1900, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|