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Lima L, Berni M, Mota J, Bressan D, Julio A, Cavalcante R, Macias V, Li Z, Rasgon JL, Bier E, Araujo H. Gene Editing in the Chagas Disease Vector Rhodnius prolixus by Cas9-Mediated ReMOT Control. CRISPR J 2024; 7:88-99. [PMID: 38564197 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2023.0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Rhodnius prolixus is currently the model vector of choice for studying Chagas disease transmission, a debilitating disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. However, transgenesis and gene editing protocols to advance the field are still lacking. Here, we tested protocols for the maternal delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly spaced palindromic repeats/Cas-9 associated) elements to developing R. prolixus oocytes and strategies for the identification of insertions and deletions (indels) in target loci of resulting gene-edited generation zero (G0) nymphs. We demonstrate successful gene editing of the eye color markers Rp-scarlet and Rp-white, and the cuticle color marker Rp-yellow, with highest effectiveness obtained using Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo (ReMOT Control) with the ovary-targeting BtKV ligand. These results provide proof of concepts for generating somatic mutations in R. prolixus and potentially for generating germ line-edited lines in triatomines, laying the foundation for gene editing protocols that could lead to the development of novel control strategies for vectors of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Lima
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mateus Berni
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jamile Mota
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Bressan
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alison Julio
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Robson Cavalcante
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Macias
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Zhiqian Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ethan Bier
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Helena Araujo
- Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Nazar AP, Delgado MJ, Lavore A. Empty-spiracles is maternally expressed and essential for neurodevelopment and early embryo determination in Rhodnius prolixus. Dev Biol 2022; 490:144-154. [PMID: 35988717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Since empty-spiracles (ems) was identified and characterized in Drosophila melanogaster as a head-gap gene, several studies have been carried out in other insect orders to confirm its evolutionary conserved function. Using the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus as biological model, we found an ems transcript with three highly conserved regions: Box-A, Box-B, and the homeodomain. R. prolixus embryos silenced by parental RNAi for two of these ems conserved regions showed both maternal and zygotic defects. Rp-emsB fragment results in early lethal embryogenesis, with eggs without any embryonic structure inside. Rp-emsB expression pattern is only maternally expressed and localized in the ovary tropharium, follicular cells, and in the unfertilized female pronucleus. Rp-emsA fragment is zygotically expressed during early blastoderm formation until late developmental stages in two main patterns: anterior in the antennal segment, and in a segmentary in the neuroblast and tracheal pits. R. prolixus knockdown embryos for Rp-emsA showed an incomplete larval hatching, reduced heads, and severe neuromotor defects. Furthermore, in situ hybridization revealed a spatial and temporal expression pattern that highly correlates with Rp-ems observed function. Here,Rp-ems function in R. prolixus development was validated, showing that empty-spiracles does not act as a true head-gap gene, but it is necessary for proper head development and crucial for early embryo determination and neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Paula Nazar
- Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "San José" de Pergamino, Argentina.
| | - María José Delgado
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones (CeBio) and Centro de Investigación y Transferencia del Noroeste de Buenos Aires (CITNOBA-CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Pergamino, Argentina.
| | - Andrés Lavore
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones (CeBio) and Centro de Investigación y Transferencia del Noroeste de Buenos Aires (CITNOBA-CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Pergamino, Argentina.
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Dynamics of maternal gene expression in Rhodnius prolixus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6538. [PMID: 35449214 PMCID: PMC9023505 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09874-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of developmental processes in Rhodnius prolixus has recently advanced with the sequencing of the genome. In this work, we analyze the maternal gene expression driving oogenesis and early embryogenesis in R. prolixus. We examined the transcriptional profile of mRNAs to establish the genes expressed across the ovary, unfertilized eggs and different embryonic stages of R. prolixus until the formation of the germ band anlage (0, 12, 24, and 48 h post egg laying). We identified 81 putative maternal and ovary-related genes and validated their expression by qRT-PCR. We validate the function of the ortholog gene Bicaudal-D (Rp-BicD) by in situ hybridization and parental RNAi. Consistent with a role in oogenesis and early development of R. prolixus, we show that lack of Rp-BicD does not significantly affect oogenesis but impairs the formation of the blastoderm. Based on our findings, we propose three times of action for maternal genes during oogenesis and embryogenesis in R. prolixus.
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Pascual A, Vilardo ES, Taibo C, Sabio Y García J, Pomar RR. Bicaudal C is required for the function of the follicular epithelium during oogenesis in Rhodnius prolixus. Dev Genes Evol 2021; 231:33-45. [PMID: 33704576 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-021-00673-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The morphology and physiology of the oogenesis have been well studied in the vector of Chagas disease Rhodnius prolixus. However, the molecular interactions that regulate the process of egg formation, key for the reproductive cycle of the vector, is still largely unknown. In order to understand the molecular and cellular basis of the oogenesis, we examined the function of the gene Bicaudal C (BicC) during oogenesis and early development of R. prolixus. We show that R. prolixus BicC (Rp-BicC) gene is expressed in the germarium, with cytoplasmic distribution, as well as in the follicular epithelium of the developing oocytes. RNAi silencing of Rp-BicC resulted in sterile females that lay few, small, non-viable eggs. The ovaries are reduced in size and show a disarray of the follicular epithelium. This indicates that Rp-BicC has a central role in the regulation of oogenesis. Although the follicular cells are able to form the chorion, the uptake of vitelline by the oocytes is compromised. We show evidence that the polarity of the follicular epithelium and the endocytic pathway, which are crucial for the proper yolk deposition, are affected. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying oocyte development and show that Rp-BicC is important for de developmental of the egg and, therefore, a key player in the reproduction of this insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Pascual
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones (UNNOBA-CICBA), CITNOBA (UNNOBA-CONICET), 2700, Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Emiliano S Vilardo
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, CREG-UNLP), 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Catalina Taibo
- Laboratorio de Microscopia Integral (LIM), (CICVyA, INTA), 1686, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julia Sabio Y García
- Laboratorio de Microscopia Integral (LIM), (CICVyA, INTA), 1686, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rolando Rivera Pomar
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones (UNNOBA-CICBA), CITNOBA (UNNOBA-CONICET), 2700, Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, CREG-UNLP), 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Nunes-da-Fonseca R, Berni M, Tobias-Santos V, Pane A, Araujo HM. Rhodnius prolixus: From classical physiology to modern developmental biology. Genesis 2017; 55. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Nunes-da-Fonseca
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais; Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socio-Ambiental de Macaé, Campus Macaé, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Mateus Berni
- Institute of Molecular Entomology; INCT-EM
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Vitória Tobias-Santos
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais; Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socio-Ambiental de Macaé, Campus Macaé, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
- Institute of Molecular Entomology; INCT-EM
| | - Attilio Pane
- Institute of Molecular Entomology; INCT-EM
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Helena Marcolla Araujo
- Institute of Molecular Entomology; INCT-EM
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
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Comparative and functional triatomine genomics reveals reductions and expansions in insecticide resistance-related gene families. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005313. [PMID: 28199333 PMCID: PMC5310753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Triatomine insects are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of Chagas’ disease. This is a neglected disease affecting approximately 8 million people in Latin America. The existence of diverse pyrethroid resistant populations of at least two species demonstrates the potential of triatomines to develop high levels of insecticide resistance. Therefore, the incorporation of strategies for resistance management is a main concern for vector control programs. Three enzymatic superfamilies are thought to mediate xenobiotic detoxification and resistance: Glutathione Transferases (GSTs), Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and Carboxyl/Cholinesterases (CCEs). Improving our knowledge of key triatomine detoxification enzymes will strengthen our understanding of insecticide resistance processes in vectors of Chagas’ disease. Methods and findings The discovery and description of detoxification gene superfamilies in normalized transcriptomes of three triatomine species: Triatoma dimidiata, Triatoma infestans and Triatoma pallidipennis is presented. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of these superfamilies among the triatomine transcriptomes and the genome of Rhodnius prolixus, also a triatomine vector of Chagas’ disease, and other well-studied insect genomes was performed. The expression pattern of detoxification genes in R. prolixus transcriptomes from key organs was analyzed. The comparisons reveal gene expansions in Sigma class GSTs, CYP3 in CYP superfamily and clade E in CCE superfamily. Moreover, several CYP families identified in these triatomines have not yet been described in other insects. Conversely, several groups of insecticide resistance related enzymes within each enzyme superfamily are reduced or lacking in triatomines. Furthermore, our qRT-PCR results showed an increase in the expression of a CYP4 gene in a T. infestans population resistant to pyrethroids. These results could point to an involvement of metabolic detoxification mechanisms on the high levels of pyrethroid resistance detected in triatomines from the Gran Chaco ecoregion. Conclusions and significance Our results help to elucidate the potential insecticide resistance mechanisms in vectors of Chagas’ disease and provide new relevant information for this field. This study shows that metabolic resistance might be a contributing cause of the high pyrethroid resistance observed in wild T. infestans populations from the Gran Chaco ecoregion, area in which although subjected to intense pyrethroid treatments, vector control has failed. This study opens new avenues for further functional studies on triatomine detoxification mechanisms. One of the principal goals of the last decades regarding public health in Latin America was the reduction of the geographic range and infestation rates of triatomines, the insect vectors of Chagas’ disease. However, the elimination of vector transmission has failed in the Gran Chaco ecoregion, even in areas subjected to intense vector control efforts with pyrethroid insecticides. Therefore, detecting the reasons for the persistence of these vectors has been recognized as a priority by public health authorities. Metabolic insecticide resistance due to enhancement of detoxification activity is one of the principal resistance mechanisms observed in insects. In this study, we analyzed the main enzyme superfamilies known to be involved in insecticide resistance in other insects in four important Chagas’ disease vector species from different regions of Latin America. This was made in a comparative manner using well-studied insect genomes as references. We have found gene expansions for several families related to insecticide resistance, while others showed a reduction. Augmented expression of a CYP gene may suggest contribution to pyrethroid resistance in highly resistant populations of Triatoma infestans from the Gran Chaco. Our results increase the knowledge of potential insecticide resistance mechanisms in vectors of Chagas’ disease and provide relevant information to this field.
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Ramaker JM, Cargill RS, Swanson TL, Quirindongo H, Cassar M, Kretzschmar D, Copenhaver PF. Amyloid Precursor Proteins Are Dynamically Trafficked and Processed during Neuronal Development. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:130. [PMID: 27932950 PMCID: PMC5122739 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolytic processing of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) produces beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptide fragments that accumulate in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), but APP may also regulate multiple aspects of neuronal development, albeit via mechanisms that are not well understood. APP is a member of a family of transmembrane glycoproteins expressed by all higher organisms, including two mammalian orthologs (APLP1 and APLP2) that have complicated investigations into the specific activities of APP. By comparison, insects express only a single APP-related protein (APP-Like, or APPL) that contains the same protein interaction domains identified in APP. However, unlike its mammalian orthologs, APPL is only expressed by neurons, greatly simplifying an analysis of its functions in vivo. Like APP, APPL is processed by secretases to generate a similar array of extracellular and intracellular cleavage fragments, as well as an Aβ-like fragment that can induce neurotoxic responses in the brain. Exploiting the complementary advantages of two insect models (Drosophila melanogaster and Manduca sexta), we have investigated the regulation of APPL trafficking and processing with respect to different aspects of neuronal development. By comparing the behavior of endogenously expressed APPL with fluorescently tagged versions of APPL and APP, we have shown that some full-length protein is consistently trafficked into the most motile regions of developing neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Concurrently, much of the holoprotein is rapidly processed into N- and C-terminal fragments that undergo bi-directional transport within distinct vesicle populations. Unexpectedly, we also discovered that APPL can be transiently sequestered into an amphisome-like compartment in developing neurons, while manipulations targeting APPL cleavage altered their motile behavior in cultured embryos. These data suggest that multiple mechanisms restrict the bioavailability of the holoprotein to regulate APPL-dependent responses within the nervous system. Lastly, targeted expression of our double-tagged constructs (combined with time-lapse imaging) revealed that APP family proteins are subject to complex patterns of trafficking and processing that vary dramatically between different neuronal subtypes. In combination, our results provide a new perspective on how the regulation of APP family proteins can be modulated to accommodate a variety of cell type-specific responses within the embryonic and adult nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Ramaker
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortland, OR, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortland, OR, USA
| | - Robert S Cargill
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tracy L Swanson
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Hanil Quirindongo
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Marlène Cassar
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Doris Kretzschmar
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
| | - Philip F Copenhaver
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
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Genome of Rhodnius prolixus, an insect vector of Chagas disease, reveals unique adaptations to hematophagy and parasite infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:14936-41. [PMID: 26627243 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1506226112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodnius prolixus not only has served as a model organism for the study of insect physiology, but also is a major vector of Chagas disease, an illness that affects approximately seven million people worldwide. We sequenced the genome of R. prolixus, generated assembled sequences covering 95% of the genome (∼ 702 Mb), including 15,456 putative protein-coding genes, and completed comprehensive genomic analyses of this obligate blood-feeding insect. Although immune-deficiency (IMD)-mediated immune responses were observed, R. prolixus putatively lacks key components of the IMD pathway, suggesting a reorganization of the canonical immune signaling network. Although both Toll and IMD effectors controlled intestinal microbiota, neither affected Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, implying the existence of evasion or tolerance mechanisms. R. prolixus has experienced an extensive loss of selenoprotein genes, with its repertoire reduced to only two proteins, one of which is a selenocysteine-based glutathione peroxidase, the first found in insects. The genome contained actively transcribed, horizontally transferred genes from Wolbachia sp., which showed evidence of codon use evolution toward the insect use pattern. Comparative protein analyses revealed many lineage-specific expansions and putative gene absences in R. prolixus, including tandem expansions of genes related to chemoreception, feeding, and digestion that possibly contributed to the evolution of a blood-feeding lifestyle. The genome assembly and these associated analyses provide critical information on the physiology and evolution of this important vector species and should be instrumental for the development of innovative disease control methods.
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