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Zhao Z, Li L, Zeng R, Lin L, Yuan D, Wen Y, Li N, Cui Y, Zhu S, Zhang ZM, Li S, Ren C. 5mC modification orchestrates choriogenesis and fertilization by preventing prolonged ftz-f1 expression. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8234. [PMID: 38086980 PMCID: PMC10716119 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43987-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation at the fifth position of cytosine (5-methylcytosine, 5mC) is a crucial epigenetic modification for regulating gene expression, but little is known about how it regulates gene expression in insects. Here, we pursue the detailed molecular mechanism by which DNMT1-mediated 5mC maintenance regulates female reproduction in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. Our results show that Dnmt1 knockdown decreases the level of 5mC in the ovary, upregulating numerous genes during choriogenesis, especially the transcription factor ftz-f1. The hypomethylation at the ftz-f1 promoter region increases and prolongs ftz-f1 expression in ovarian follicle cells during choriogenesis, which consequently causes aberrantly high levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone and excessively upregulates the extracellular matrix remodeling gene Mmp1. These changes further impair choriogenesis and disrupt fertilization by causing anoikis of the follicle cells, a shortage of chorion proteins, and malformation of the sponge-like bodies. This study significantly advances our understanding of how DNA 5mC modification regulates female reproduction in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514779, China
| | - Liang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Ruichen Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Liangguan Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Dongwei Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Yejie Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Na Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514779, China
| | - Yingying Cui
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Shiming Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zhi-Min Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 510632, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514779, China.
| | - Chonghua Ren
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology & School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514779, China.
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Alborzi Z, Piulachs MD. Dual function of the transcription factor Ftz-f1 on oviposition in the cockroach Blattella germanica. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 32:689-702. [PMID: 37498010 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor Ftz-f1 has multiple functions in insect development in a spatial-temporal line. One of these roles is in the insect ovaries, specifically in the regulation of steroidogenic enzymes production. We studied the function of F in Blattella germanica oogenesis, as it shows two moments of high expression in ovaries: before the imaginal moult, and just before ovulation in the adult. Injecting dsftz-f1 into adult females, either just after the imaginal moult or just prior to choriogenesis, prevented oviposition, with differences between the two approaches. In 3-day-old adult females treated with dsftz-f1 just after the emergence, the expression of ftz-f1 was not modified, but the steroidogenic genes increased their expression. ftz-f1 transcript levels in the ovaries of 5-day-old dsftz-f1-treated females were significantly depleted, and the expression levels of the same steroidogenic genes began to decrease. These results suggest that Ftz-f1 regulates the expression of steroidogenic genes in B. germanica, with phm possibly being a key target. Ftz-f1 has a different temporal function in the cytoskeleton of follicular cells of the basal ovarian follicles. Early in the gonadotrophic cycle, Ftz-f1 promotes the expression of genes related to the cytoskeleton and muscle proteins, while at the end of the cycle it maintains the expression levels of these genes, thus ensuring correct ovulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynab Alborzi
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- Agricultural Entomology, Insect Physiology, Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
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Hwang J, Choi EH, Park B, Kim G, Shin C, Lee JH, Hwang JS, Hwang UW. Transcriptome profiling for developmental stages Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis with focus on wing development and metamorphosis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0277815. [PMID: 36857331 PMCID: PMC9977060 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A white-spotted flower chafer Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis widely distributed in Asian countries is traditionally used in oriental medicine. This study explored gene expression abundance with respect to wing development and metamorphosis in P. b. seulensis based on the large-scale RNA-seq data. The transcriptome assembly consists of 23,551 high-quality transcripts which are approximately 96.7% covered. We found 265 wing development genes, 19 metamorphosis genes, and 1,314 candidates. Of the 1,598 genes, 1,594 are included exclusively in cluster 4 with similar gene co-expression patterns. The network centrality analyses showed that wing development- and metamorphosis-related genes have a high degree of betweenness centrality and are expressed most highly in eggs, moderately in pupa and adults, and lowest in larva. This study provides some meaningful clues for elucidating the genetic modulation mechanism of wing development and metamorphosis in P. b. seulensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Hwang
- Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- Phylomics Inc., Daegu, South Korea
| | - Eun Hwa Choi
- Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- Phylomics Inc., Daegu, South Korea
| | - Bia Park
- Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Gyeongmin Kim
- Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- School of Life Sciences, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Chorong Shin
- Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- School of Industrial Technology Advances, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Joon Ha Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, South Korea
| | - Jae Sam Hwang
- Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, South Korea
| | - Ui Wook Hwang
- Department of Biology Education, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
- Phylomics Inc., Daegu, South Korea
- School of Life Sciences, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
- School of Industrial Technology Advances, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
- Institute for Korean Herb-Bio Convergence Promotion, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
- * E-mail:
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4
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Reduction of embryonic E93 expression as a hypothetical driver of the evolution of insect metamorphosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216640120. [PMID: 36745781 PMCID: PMC9963766 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216640120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The early embryo of the cockroach Blattella germanica exhibits high E93 expression. In general, E93 triggers adult morphogenesis during postembryonic development. Here we show that E93 is also crucial in early embryogenesis in the cockroach, as a significant number of E93-depleted embryos are unable to develop the germ band under maternal RNAi treatment targeting E93. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis indicates that E93 depletion results in important gene expression changes in the early embryo, and many of the differentially expressed genes are involved in development. Then, using public databases, we gathered E93 expression data in embryo and preadult stages, finding that embryonic expression of E93 is high in hemimetabolan species (whose juveniles, or nymphs, are similar to the adult) and low in holometabolans (whose juveniles, or larvae, are different from the adult). E93 expression is also low in Thysanoptera and in Hemiptera Sternorrhyncha, hemimetabolans with postembryonic quiescent stages, as well as in Odonata, the nymph of which is very different from the adult. In ametabolans, such as the Zygentoma Thermobia domestica, E93 transcript levels are very high in the early embryo, whereas during postembryonic development they are medium and relatively constant. We propose the hypothesis that during evolution, a reduction of E93 expression in the embryo of hemimetabolans facilitated the larval development and the emergence of holometaboly. Independent decreases of E93 transcripts in the embryo of Odonata, Thysanoptera, and different groups of Hemiptera Sternorrhyncha would have allowed the development of modified juvenile stages adapted to specific ecophysiological conditions.
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5
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Chen F, Zhang XQ, Wu JJ, Jin L, Li GQ. Requirement of Myoglianin for metamorphosis in the beetle Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:671-685. [PMID: 35661293 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12795] [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: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata is a serious defoliating beetle attacking Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae plants in many Asian countries. In the present paper, we identified a putative myoglianin (myo) gene. Hvmyo was actively transcribed throughout development, from embryo to adult. RNA interference (RNAi)-aided knockdown of Hvmyo delayed larval development by more than 2 days, reduced larval body size, inhibited the growth of antennae, wings and legs and disturbed gut purge. Knockdown of Hvmyo impaired the larval-pupal transition. All the Hvmyo RNAi larvae arrested at the larval stage or formed misshapen pupae or adults. The deformed pupae and adults were partially wrapped with exuviae, bearing separated wings. Moreover, the expression levels of five ecdysteroidogenesis genes (Hvspo, Hvphm, Hvdib, Hvsad and Hvshd), a prothocicotropic hormone (PTTH)/Torso pathway gene (Hvtorso), two 20E receptor genes (HvEcR and HvUSP), and two 20E signalling genes (HvE93 and HvFTZ-F1) were as a result of HvMyo RNAi significantly lowered. Conversely, the expression of a JH biosynthesis gene (Hvjhamt), a JH receptor gene HvMet and a JH signalling gene HvKr-h1 was greatly enhanced. Although ingestion of 20E and Hal rescued the 20E signal, it could not alleviate larval performance and defective phenotypes. Our results suggest that Myo exerts four distinctive roles in ecdysteroidogenesis, JH production, organ growth and larva-pupa-adult transformation in H. vigintioctopunctata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Chen
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests/State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Zhang
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests/State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian-Jian Wu
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests/State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Jin
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests/State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guo-Qing Li
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests/State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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6
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Hildebrandt K, Klöppel C, Gogel J, Hartenstein V, Walldorf U. Orthopedia expression during Drosophila melanogaster nervous system development and its regulation by microRNA-252. Dev Biol 2022; 492:87-100. [PMID: 36179878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.09.006] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
During brain development of Drosophila melanogaster many transcription factors are involved in regulating neural fate and morphogenesis. In our study we show that the transcription factor Orthopedia (Otp), a member of the 57B homeobox gene cluster, plays an important role in this process. Otp is expressed in a stable pattern in defined lineages from mid-embryonic stages into the adult brain and therefore a very stable marker for these lineages. We determined the abundance of the two different otp transcripts in the brain and hindgut during development using qPCR. CRISPR/Cas9 generated otp mutants of the longer protein form significantly affect the expression of Otp in specific areas. We generated an otp enhancer trap strain by gene targeting and reintegration of Gal4, which mimics the complete expression of otp during development except the embryonic hindgut expression. Since in the embryo, the expression of Otp is posttranscriptionally regulated, we looked for putative miRNAs interacting with the otp 3'UTR, and identified microRNA-252 as a candidate. Further analyses with mutated and deleted forms of the microRNA-252 interacting sequence in the otp 3'UTR demonstrate an in vivo interaction of microRNA-252 with the otp 3'UTR. An effect of this interaction is seen in the adult brain, where Otp expression is partially abolished in a knockout strain of microRNA-252. Our results show that Otp is another important factor for brain development in Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Hildebrandt
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany
| | - Christine Klöppel
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany
| | - Jasmin Gogel
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Uwe Walldorf
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg, Saar, Germany.
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Elias-Neto M, Alvarez N, Ventos-Alfonso A, Belles X. Flight or protection: the genes Ultrabithorax and apterous in the determination of membranous and sclerotized wings in insects. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220967. [PMID: 35975435 PMCID: PMC9382207 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Present-day pterygote insects have two pairs of wings, one in the mesothorax (T2), the other in the metathorax (T3), and both have diverged in structure and function in different groups. Studies in endopterygote and paraneopteran species have shown that the gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) specifies the identity and wing structure in T3, whereas the gene apterous (ap) significantly contributes to forming modified T2 wings. We wondered whether these Ubx and ap mechanisms operate in the lineage of polyneopterans. To explore this possibility, we used the cockroach Blattella germanica (Polyneoptera and Blattodea), in which the T2 wings are sclerotized (tegmina), whereas those of the T3 are membranous. We found that Ubx determines the structure of T3 and the membranous wing, while ap significantly contributes to form the sclerotized T2 tegmina. These results along with the studies carried out on the beetle Tribolium castaneum by Tomoyasu and collaborators suggest that ap plays an important role in the sclerotization and melanization of the T2 wings in neopteran groups that have sclerotized forewings. In turn, the sclerotizing properties of ap demonstrated in beetles and cockroaches suggest that the origin of this function goes back to the emergence of Neoptera, in the mid Devonian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moysés Elias-Neto
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Niuska Alvarez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Ventos-Alfonso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Fernandez-Nicolas A, Ventos-Alfonso A, Kamsoi O, Clark-Hachtel C, Tomoyasu Y, Belles X. Broad complex and wing development in cockroaches. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 147:103798. [PMID: 35662625 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103798] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In hemimetabolan insects, the transcription factor Broad complex (Br-C) promotes wing growth and development during the nymphal period. We wondered whether Br-C could trigger the initiation of wing development, using the cockroach Blattella germanica as a model. We show that first instar nymphs have their unique identity of these three thoracic segments specified. During embryogenesis, the expression of Br-C and some wing-related genes show two matching waves. The first takes place before the formation of the germ band, which might be involved in the establishment of various developmental fields including a potential "wing field", and the second wave around organogenesis, possibly involved in the initiation of wing development. However, the expression of Br-C in early embryogenesis concentrates in the developing central nervous system, thus not co-localizing with the expression of the typical wing-related gene vestigial, which is expressed at the edge of the thoracic and abdominal segments. This suggests that Br-C is not specifically involved in the establishment of a potential "wing field" in early embryogenesis. Moreover, maternal RNAi for Br-C depletes the first wave of Br-C expression but does not affect the early expression of wing-related genes. As maternal Br-C RNAi did not deplete the second expression wave of Br-C, we could not evaluate if Br-C is involved in the initiation of wing development. Alternatively, using nymphal RNAi of Br-C and Sex combs reduced (Scr), we show that Br-C contributes to the formation of ectopic wing structures that develop in the prothorax when Scr is depleted. The gene most clearly influenced by Br-C RNAi is nubbin (nub), which, in nymphs is crucial for wing growth. Together, these results suggest that Br-C does not specifically contribute to the establishment of the "wing field", but it does seem important later, in the initiation of wing development, enhancing the expression of wing-related genes, especially nub. This supports the hypothesis previously proposed by the authors, whereby Br-C might have facilitated the evolution of holometaboly. However, there is no doubt that other factors have also contributed to this evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alba Ventos-Alfonso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Orathai Kamsoi
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Courtney Clark-Hachtel
- Department of Biology, Miami University, 700E High St, Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Yoshinori Tomoyasu
- Department of Biology, Miami University, 700E High St, Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
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9
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A transcription factor that enables metamorphosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204972119. [PMID: 35594389 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204972119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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10
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Chinmo is the larval member of the molecular trinity that directs Drosophila metamorphosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201071119. [PMID: 35377802 PMCID: PMC9169713 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201071119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of insects with complete metamorphosis contains the instructions for making three distinct body forms, that of the larva, of the pupa, and of the adult. However, the molecular mechanisms by which each gene set is called forth and stably expressed are poorly understood. A half century ago, it was proposed that there was a set of three master genes that inhibited each other’s expression and enabled the expression of genes for each respective stage. We show that the transcription factor chinmo is essential for maintaining the larval stage in Drosophila, and with two other regulatory genes, broad and E93, makes up the trinity of mutually repressive master genes that underlie insect metamorphosis. The molecular control of insect metamorphosis from larva to pupa to adult has long been a mystery. The Broad and E93 transcription factors, which can modify chromatin domains, are known to direct the production of the pupa and the adult, respectively. We now show that chinmo, a gene related to broad, is essential for the repression of these metamorphic genes. Chinmo is strongly expressed during the formation and growth of the larva and its removal results in the precocious expression of broad and E93 in the first stage larva, causing a shift from larval to premetamorphic functions. This trinity of Chinmo, Broad, and E93 regulatory factors is mutually inhibitory. The interaction of this network with regulatory hormones likely ensures the orderly progression through insect metamorphosis.
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11
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Molecular mechanisms underlying metamorphosis in the most-ancestral winged insect. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114773119. [PMID: 35217609 PMCID: PMC8892354 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114773119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As caterpillars metamorphose to butterflies, insects change their appearance dramatically through metamorphosis. Some insects have an immobile pupal stage for morphological remodeling (homometaboly). Other insects, such as cockroaches, have no pupal stage, and the juveniles and adults are morphologically similar (hemimetaboly). Notably, among the most-ancestral hemimetabolous insects, dragonflies drastically alter their appearance from aquatic nymphs to aerial adults. In dragonflies, we showed that transcription factors Kr-h1 and E93 are essential for regulating metamorphosis as in other insects, while broad, the master gene for pupation in holometabolous insects, regulates a number of both nymph-specific genes and adult-specific genes, providing insight into what evolutionary trajectory the key transcription factor broad has experienced before ending up with governing pupation and holometaboly. Insects comprise over half of the described species, and the acquisition of metamorphosis must have contributed to their diversity and prosperity. The order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) is among the most-ancestral insects with drastic morphological changes upon metamorphosis, in which understanding of the molecular mechanisms will provide insight into the evolution of incomplete and complete metamorphosis in insects. In order to identify metamorphosis-related genes in Odonata, we performed comprehensive RNA-sequencing of the blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura senegalensis at different developmental stages. Comparative RNA-sequencing analyses between nymphs and adults identified eight nymph-specific and seven adult-specific transcripts. RNA interference (RNAi) of these candidate genes demonstrated that three transcription factors, Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1), broad, and E93 play important roles in metamorphosis of both I. senegalensis and a phylogenetically distant dragonfly, Pseudothemis zonata. E93 is essential for adult morphogenesis, and RNAi of Kr-h1 induced precocious metamorphosis in epidermis via up-regulation of E93. Precocious metamorphosis was also induced by RNAi of the juvenile hormone receptor Methoprene-tolerant (Met), confirming that the regulation of metamorphosis by the MEKRE93 (Met-Kr-h1-E93) pathway is conserved across diverse insects including the basal insect lineage Odonata. Notably, RNAi of broad produced unique grayish pigmentation on the nymphal abdominal epidermis. Survey of downstream genes for Kr-h1, broad, and E93 uncovered that unlike other insects, broad regulates a substantial number of nymph-specific and adult-specific genes independently of Kr-h1 and E93. These findings highlight the importance of functional changes and rewiring of the transcription factors Kr-h1, broad, and E93 in the evolution of insect metamorphosis.
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12
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Zhu S, Liu Y, Liao M, Yang Y, Bai Y, Li N, Li S, Luan Y, Chen N. Evaluation of Reference Genes for Transcriptional Profiling in Two Cockroach Models. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121880. [PMID: 34946836 PMCID: PMC8701133 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana are the most common and synanthropic household pests of interest to public health. While they have increasingly served as model systems in hemimetabolous insects for studying many biological issues, there is still a lack of stable reference gene evaluation for reliable quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) outputs and functional genomics. Here, we evaluated the expression variation of common insect reference genes, including the historically used actin, across various tissues and developmental stages, and also under experimental treatment conditions in these two species by using three individual algorithms (geNorm, BestKeeper, and NormFinder) and a comprehensive program (RefFinder). RPL32 in B. germanica and EF1α in P. americana showed the overall lowest variation among all examined samples. Based on the stability rankings by RefFinder, the optimal but varied reference genes under specific conditions were selected for qPCR normalization. In addition, the combination of RPL32 and EF1α was recommended for all the tested tissues and stages in B. germanica, whereas the combination of multiple reference genes was unfavorable in P. americana. This study provides a condition-specific resource of reference gene selection for accurate gene expression profiling and facilitating functional genomics in these two important cockroaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Yongjun Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Mingtao Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yu Bai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Na Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Yunxia Luan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
| | - Nan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.Z.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.B.); (N.L.); (S.L.); (Y.L.)
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514000, China
- Correspondence:
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13
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Insights into the genomic evolution of insects from cricket genomes. Commun Biol 2021; 4:733. [PMID: 34127782 PMCID: PMC8203789 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02197-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of our knowledge of insect genomes comes from Holometabolous species, which undergo complete metamorphosis and have genomes typically under 2 Gb with little signs of DNA methylation. In contrast, Hemimetabolous insects undergo the presumed ancestral process of incomplete metamorphosis, and have larger genomes with high levels of DNA methylation. Hemimetabolous species from the Orthopteran order (grasshoppers and crickets) have some of the largest known insect genomes. What drives the evolution of these unusual insect genome sizes, remains unknown. Here we report the sequencing, assembly and annotation of the 1.66-Gb genome of the Mediterranean field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, and the annotation of the 1.60-Gb genome of the Hawaiian cricket Laupala kohalensis. We compare these two cricket genomes with those of 14 additional insects and find evidence that hemimetabolous genomes expanded due to transposable element activity. Based on the ratio of observed to expected CpG sites, we find higher conservation and stronger purifying selection of methylated genes than non-methylated genes. Finally, our analysis suggests an expansion of the pickpocket class V gene family in crickets, which we speculate might play a role in the evolution of cricket courtship, including their characteristic chirping. Ylla, Extavour et al. use genomic data from crickets to investigate the evolution of large genome sizes and DNA methylation events in insects. Their findings indicate that transposable element activity drove genome expansion in hemimetabolous insects, such as crickets and grasshoppers, and that DNA methylation is predominant in conserved genes.
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14
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Ventós-Alfonso A, Ylla G, Montañes JC, Belles X. DNMT1 Promotes Genome Methylation and Early Embryo Development in Cockroaches. iScience 2020; 23:101778. [PMID: 33294787 PMCID: PMC7691181 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The influence of DNA methylation on gene behavior and its consequent phenotypic effects appear to be very important, but the details are not well understood. Insects offer a diversity of DNA methylation modes, making them an excellent lineage for comparative analyses. However, functional studies have tended to focus on quite specialized holometabolan species, such as wasps, bees, beetles, and flies. Here, we have studied DNA methylation in the hemimetabolan insect Blattella germanica. In this cockroach, a gene involved in DNA methylation, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), is expressed in early embryogenesis. In our experiments, RNAi of DNMT1 reduces DNA methylation and impairs blastoderm formation. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and transcriptome analyses, we observed that methylated genes are associated with metabolism and are highly expressed, whereas unmethylated genes are related to signaling and show low expression. Moreover, methylated genes show greater expression change and less expression variability than unmethylated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Ventós-Alfonso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillem Ylla
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose-Carlos Montañes
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim 37, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Silva FJ, Muñoz-Benavent M, García-Ferris C, Latorre A. Blattella germanica displays a large arsenal of antimicrobial peptide genes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21058. [PMID: 33273496 PMCID: PMC7712779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77982-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Defence systems against microbial pathogens are present in most living beings. The German cockroach Blattella germanica requires these systems to adapt to unhealthy environments with abundance of pathogenic microbes, in addition to potentially control its symbiotic systems. To handle this situation, four antimicrobial gene families (defensins, termicins, drosomycins and attacins) were expanded in its genome. Remarkably, a new gene family (blattellicins) emerged recently after duplication and fast evolution of an attacin gene, which is now encoding larger proteins with the presence of a long stretch of glutamines and glutamic acids. Phylogenetic reconstruction, within Blattellinae, suggests that this duplication took place before the divergence of Blattella and Episymploce genera. The latter harbours a long attacin gene (pre-blattellicin), but the absence of the encoded Glx-region suggests that this element evolved recently in the Blattella lineage. A screening of AMP gene expression in available transcriptomic SR projects of B. germanica showed that, while some AMPs are expressed during almost the whole development, others are restricted to shorter periods. Blattellicins are highly expressed only in adult females. None of the available SR tissue projects could be associated with blattellicins’ expression, suggesting that it takes place in other tissues, maybe the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Silva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain. .,Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Maria Muñoz-Benavent
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Ferris
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Latorre
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia-CSIC, Paterna, Spain.,Genomics and Health Area, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research, Valencia, Spain
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16
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Kamsoi O, Belles X. E93-depleted adult insects preserve the prothoracic gland and molt again. Development 2020; 147:dev.190066. [PMID: 33077428 DOI: 10.1242/dev.190066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Insect metamorphosis originated around the middle Devonian, associated with the innovation of the final molt; this occurs after histolysis of the prothoracic gland (PG; which produces the molting hormone) in the first days of adulthood. We previously hypothesized that transcription factor E93 is crucial in the emergence of metamorphosis, because it triggers metamorphosis in extant insects. This work on the cockroach Blattella germanica reveals that E93 also plays a crucial role in the histolysis of PG, which fits the above hypothesis. Previous studies have shown that the transcription factor FTZ-F1 is essential for PG histolysis. We have found that FTZ-F1 depletion towards the end of the final nymphal instar downregulates the expression of E93, whereas E93-depleted nymphs molt to adults that retain a functional PG. Interestingly, these adults are able to molt again, which is exceptional in insects. The study of insects able to molt again in the adult stage may reveal clues about how nymphal epidermal cells definitively become adult cells, and whether it is possible to reverse this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orathai Kamsoi
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Maritim 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Maritim 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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17
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He LL, Shin SH, Wang Z, Yuan I, Weschler R, Chiou A, Koyama T, Nijhout HF, Suzuki Y. Mechanism of threshold size assessment: Metamorphosis is triggered by the TGF-beta/Activin ligand Myoglianin. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 126:103452. [PMID: 32822817 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although the mechanisms that control growth are now well understood, the mechanism by which animals assess their body size remains one of the great puzzles in biology. The final larval instar of holometabolous insects, after which growth stops and metamorphosis begins, is specified by a threshold size. We investigated the mechanism of threshold size assessment in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. The threshold size was found to change depending on the amount of exposure to poor nutrient conditions whereas hypoxia treatment consistently led to a lower threshold size. Under these various conditions, the mass of the muscles plus integuments was correlated with the threshold size. Furthermore, the expression of myoglianin (myo) increased at the threshold size in both M. sexta and Tribolium castaneum. Knockdown of myo in T. castaneum led to larvae that underwent supernumerary larval molts and stayed in the larval stage permanently even after passing the threshold size. We propose that increasing levels of Myo produced by the growing tissues allow larvae to assess their body size and trigger metamorphosis at the threshold size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorrie L He
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA
| | - Sara H Shin
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA
| | - Zhou Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA
| | - Isabelle Yuan
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA
| | - Ruthie Weschler
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA
| | - Allison Chiou
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA
| | - Takashi Koyama
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Yuichiro Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, 106 Central St., Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA.
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18
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Spatial and morphological reorganization of endosymbiosis during metamorphosis accommodates adult metabolic requirements in a weevil. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:19347-19358. [PMID: 32723830 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2007151117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial intracellular symbiosis (endosymbiosis) is widespread in nature and impacts many biological processes. In holometabolous symbiotic insects, metamorphosis entails a complete and abrupt internal reorganization that creates a constraint for endosymbiont transmission from larvae to adults. To assess how endosymbiosis copes-and potentially evolves-throughout this major host-tissue reorganization, we used the association between the cereal weevil Sitophilus oryzae and the bacterium Sodalis pierantonius as a model system. S. pierantonius are contained inside specialized host cells, the bacteriocytes, that group into an organ, the bacteriome. Cereal weevils require metabolic inputs from their endosymbiont, particularly during adult cuticle synthesis, when endosymbiont load increases dramatically. By combining dual RNA-sequencing analyses and cell imaging, we show that the larval bacteriome dissociates at the onset of metamorphosis and releases bacteriocytes that undergo endosymbiosis-dependent transcriptomic changes affecting cell motility, cell adhesion, and cytoskeleton organization. Remarkably, bacteriocytes turn into spindle cells and migrate along the midgut epithelium, thereby conveying endosymbionts to midgut sites where future mesenteric caeca will develop. Concomitantly, endosymbiont genes encoding a type III secretion system and a flagellum apparatus are transiently up-regulated while endosymbionts infect putative stem cells and enter their nuclei. Infected cells then turn into new differentiated bacteriocytes and form multiple new bacteriomes in adults. These findings show that endosymbiosis reorganization in a holometabolous insect relies on a synchronized host-symbiont molecular and cellular "choreography" and illustrates an adaptive feature that promotes bacteriome multiplication to match increased metabolic requirements in emerging adults.
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19
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Rolff J, Johnston PR, Reynolds S. Complete metamorphosis of insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190063. [PMID: 31438816 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of described hexapod species are holometabolous insects, undergoing an extreme form of metamorphosis with an intercalated pupal stage between the larva and adult, in which organs and tissues are extensively remodelled and in some cases completely rebuilt. Here, we review how and why this developmental strategy has evolved. While there are many theories explaining the evolution of metamorphosis, many of which fit under the hypothesis of decoupling of life stages, there are few clear adaptive hypotheses on why complete metamorphosis evolved. We propose that the main adaptive benefit of complete metamorphosis is decoupling between growth and differentiation. This facilitates the exploitation of ephemeral resources and enhances the probability of the metamorphic transition escaping developmental size thresholds. The evolution of complete metamorphosis comes at the cost of exposure to predators, parasites and pathogens during pupal life and requires specific adaptations of the immune system at this time. Moreover, metamorphosis poses a challenge for the maintenance of symbionts and the gut microbiota, although it may also offer the benefit of allowing an extensive change in microbiota between the larval and adult stages. The regulation of metamorphosis by two main players, ecdysone and juvenile hormone, and the related signalling cascades are now relatively well understood. The mechanics of metamorphosis have recently been studied in detail because of the advent of micro-CT and research into the role of cell death in remodelling tissues and organs. We support the argument that the adult stage must necessarily have preceded the larval form of the insect. We do not resolve the still contentious question of whether the larva of insects in general originated through the modification of existing preadult forms or through heterochrony as a modified embryonic stage (pronymph), nor whether the holometabolous pupa arose as a modified hemimetabolous final stage larva. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of complete metamorphosis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Rolff
- Evolutionary Biology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul R Johnston
- Evolutionary Biology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Stuart Reynolds
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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20
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Ventos-Alfonso A, Ylla G, Belles X. Zelda and the maternal-to-zygotic transition in cockroaches. FEBS J 2019; 286:3206-3221. [PMID: 30993896 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In the endopterygote Drosophila melanogaster, Zelda is an activator of the zygotic genome during the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). Zelda binds cis-regulatory elements (TAGteam heptamers), making chromatin accessible for gene transcription. Zelda has been studied in other endopterygotes: Apis mellifera and Tribolium castaneum, and the paraneopteran Rhodnius prolixus. We studied Zelda in the cockroach Blattella germanica, a hemimetabolan, short germ-band, and polyneopteran species. B. germanica Zelda has the complete set of functional domains, which is typical of species displaying ancestral features concerning embryogenesis. Interestingly, we found D. melanogaster TAGteam heptamers in the B. germanica genome. The canonical one, CAGGTAG, is present at a similar proportion in the genome of these two species and in the genome of other insects, suggesting that the genome admits as many CAGGTAG motifs as its length allows. Zelda-depleted embryos of B. germanica show defects involving blastoderm formation and abdomen development, and genes contributing to these processes are down-regulated. We conclude that in B. germanica, Zelda strictly activates the zygotic genome, within the MZT, a role conserved in more derived endopterygote insects. In B. germanica, zelda is expressed during MZT, whereas in D. melanogaster and T. castaneum it is expressed beyond this transition. In these species and A. mellifera, Zelda has functions even in postembryonic development. The expansion of zelda expression beyond the MZT in endopterygotes might be related with the evolutionary innovation of holometabolan metamorphosis. DATABASES: The RNA-seq datasets of B. germanica, D. melanogaster, and T. castaneum are accessible at the GEO databases GSE99785, GSE18068, GSE63770, and GSE84253. In addition, the RNA-seq library from T. castaneum adult females is available at SRA: SRX021963. The B. germanica reference genome is available as BioProject PRJNA203136.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Ventos-Alfonso
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillem Ylla
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Castro-Arnau J, Marín A, Castells M, Ferrer I, Maestro JL. The expression of cockroach insulin-like peptides is differentially regulated by physiological conditions and affected by compensatory regulation. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 114:57-67. [PMID: 30822409 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In insects, the insulin receptor (InR) pathway is involved in regulating key physiological processes, including juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis, vitellogenin production, and oocyte growth. This raises the question about which ligand (or ligands) binds to InR to trigger the above effects. We have cloned seven insulin-like peptides (BgILP1 to 7) from female Blattella germanica cockroaches and found that the brain expresses BgILP1 to 6, the fat body BgILP7, and the ovary BgILP2. Starvation induces the reduction of BgILP3, 5, and 6 mRNA levels in the brain, and the various BgILPs are differentially expressed during the gonadotrophic cycle. In addition, by knocking down the BgILPs we were able to identify compensatory regulation at transcriptional level between the different BgILPs, although none of the BgILP knockdown assays, including the knockdown of the seven BgILPs, produced the same phenotypes that we achieved by depleting InR. Taken together, the results indicate that B. germanica ILPs are differentially expressed in tissues and in response to physiological conditions, and that they are affected by compensatory regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Castro-Arnau
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainoa Marín
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Castells
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iamil Ferrer
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José L Maestro
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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22
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Kamsoi O, Belles X. Myoglianin triggers the premetamorphosis stage in hemimetabolan insects. FASEB J 2018; 33:3659-3669. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801511r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Orathai Kamsoi
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySpanish National Research Council (CSIC)Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona Spain
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySpanish National Research Council (CSIC)Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona Spain
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23
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Harrison MC, Arning N, Kremer LPM, Ylla G, Belles X, Bornberg‐Bauer E, Huylmans AK, Jongepier E, Piulachs M, Richards S, Schal C. Expansions of key protein families in the German cockroach highlight the molecular basis of its remarkable success as a global indoor pest. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2018; 330:254-264. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Harrison
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity University of Münster Münster Germany
| | - Nicolas Arning
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity University of Münster Münster Germany
| | - Lukas P. M. Kremer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity University of Münster Münster Germany
| | - Guillem Ylla
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva CSIC‐University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona Spain
| | - Xavier Belles
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva CSIC‐University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona Spain
| | | | | | - Evelien Jongepier
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity University of Münster Münster Germany
| | | | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Houston Texas
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
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