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Kim TK, Slominski RM, Pyza E, Kleszczynski K, Tuckey RC, Reiter RJ, Holick MF, Slominski AT. Evolutionary formation of melatonin and vitamin D in early life forms: insects take centre stage. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38686544 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Melatonin, a product of tryptophan metabolism via serotonin, is a molecule with an indole backbone that is widely produced by bacteria, unicellular eukaryotic organisms, plants, fungi and all animal taxa. Aside from its role in the regulation of circadian rhythms, it has diverse biological actions including regulation of cytoprotective responses and other functions crucial for survival across different species. The latter properties are also shared by its metabolites including kynuric products generated by reactive oxygen species or phototransfomation induced by ultraviolet radiation. Vitamins D and related photoproducts originate from phototransformation of ∆5,7 sterols, of which 7-dehydrocholesterol and ergosterol are examples. Their ∆5,7 bonds in the B ring absorb solar ultraviolet radiation [290-315 nm, ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation] resulting in B ring opening to produce previtamin D, also referred to as a secosteroid. Once formed, previtamin D can either undergo thermal-induced isomerization to vitamin D or absorb UVB radiation to be transformed into photoproducts including lumisterol and tachysterol. Vitamin D, as well as the previtamin D photoproducts lumisterol and tachysterol, are hydroxylated by cyochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to produce biologically active hydroxyderivatives. The best known of these is 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) for which the major function in vertebrates is regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Herein we review data on melatonin production and metabolism and discuss their functions in insects. We discuss production of previtamin D and vitamin D, and their photoproducts in fungi, plants and insects, as well as mechanisms for their enzymatic activation and suggest possible biological functions for them in these groups of organisms. For the detection of these secosteroids and their precursors and photoderivatives, as well as melatonin metabolites, we focus on honey produced by bees and on body extracts of Drosophila melanogaster. Common biological functions for melatonin derivatives and secosteroids such as cytoprotective and photoprotective actions in insects are discussed. We provide hypotheses for the photoproduction of other secosteroids and of kynuric metabolites of melatonin, based on the known photobiology of ∆5,7 sterols and of the indole ring, respectively. We also offer possible mechanisms of actions for these unique molecules and summarise differences and similarities of melatoninergic and secosteroidogenic pathways in diverse organisms including insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Kang Kim
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Radomir M Slominski
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Informatics Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Elzbieta Pyza
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, Kraków, 30-387, Poland
| | - Konrad Kleszczynski
- Department of Dermatology, Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 58, Münster, 48161, Germany
| | - Robert C Tuckey
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health, Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | | | - Andrzej T Slominski
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Chemoprevention Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
- VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
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Mizunami M, Yamagata N. Editorial overview: Aroma nudges in bugs: Sensory perception and memory in insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 62:101165. [PMID: 38244691 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Mizunami
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Nobuhiro Yamagata
- Faculty and Graduate School of Engineering Science, Akita University, Akita, Japan
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Strelevitz H, Tiraboschi E, Haase A. Associative Learning of Quantitative Mechanosensory Stimuli in Honeybees. INSECTS 2024; 15:94. [PMID: 38392513 PMCID: PMC10889140 DOI: 10.3390/insects15020094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The proboscis extension response (PER) has been widely used to evaluate honeybees' (Apis mellifera) learning and memory abilities, typically by using odors and visual cues for the conditioned stimuli. Here we asked whether honeybees could learn to distinguish between different magnitudes of the same type of stimulus, given as two speeds of air flux. By taking advantage of a novel automated system for administering PER experiments, we determined that the bees were highly successful when the lower air flux was rewarded and less successful when the higher flux was rewarded. Importantly, since our method includes AI-assisted analysis, we were able to consider subthreshold responses at a high temporal resolution; this analysis revealed patterns of rapid generalization and slowly acquired discrimination between the rewarded and unrewarded stimuli, as well as indications that the high air flux may have been mildly aversive. The learning curve for these mechanosensory stimuli, at least when the lower flux is rewarded, more closely mimics prior data from olfactory PER studies rather than visual ones, possibly in agreement with recent findings that the insect olfactory system is also sensitive to mechanosensory information. This work demonstrates a new modality to be used in PER experiments and lays the foundation for deeper exploration of honeybee cognitive processes when posed with complex learning challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Strelevitz
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Ettore Tiraboschi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Albrecht Haase
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, 38123 Povo, Italy
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