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Kahveci K, Düzgün MB, Atis AE, Yılmaz A, Shahraki A, Coskun B, Durdagi S, Birgul Iyison N. Discovering allatostatin type-C receptor specific agonists. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3965. [PMID: 38730017 PMCID: PMC11087482 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48156-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no pesticide available for the selective control of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa-specific), and conventional methods typically rely on mechanical techniques such as pheromone traps or broad-spectrum larvicidal chemicals. As climate change increases the range and dispersion capacity of crop and forest pests, outbreaks of the pine processionary occur with greater frequency and significantly impact forestry and public health. Our study is carried out to provide a T. pityocampa-specific pesticide targeting the Allatostatin Type-C Receptor (AlstR-C). We use a combination of computational biology methods, a cell-based screening assay, and in vivo toxicity and side effect assays to identify, for the first time, a series of AlstR-C ligands suitable for use as T. pityocampa-specific insecticides. We further demonstrate that the novel AlstR-C targeted agonists are specific to lepidopteran larvae, with no harmful effects on coleopteran larvae or adults. Overall, our study represents an important initial advance toward an insect GPCR-targeted next-generation pesticide design. Our approach may apply to other invertebrate GPCRs involved in vital metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kübra Kahveci
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, İstanbul, Türkiye
| | | | - Abdullah Emre Atis
- Plant Protection Product and Toxicology Department, Plant Protection Central Research Institute, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Abdullah Yılmaz
- Plant Protection Product and Toxicology Department, Plant Protection Central Research Institute, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Aida Shahraki
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, İstanbul, Türkiye
- Kolb Lab, Department of Pharmacy, The Philipp University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Basak Coskun
- Plant Protection Product and Toxicology Department, Plant Protection Central Research Institute, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Serdar Durdagi
- Molecular Therapy Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Türkiye.
- Computational Biology and Molecular Simulations Laboratory, Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Türkiye.
- Lab for Innovative Drugs (Lab4IND), Computational Drug Design Center (HITMER), Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Türkiye.
| | - Necla Birgul Iyison
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, İstanbul, Türkiye.
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Shahraki A, Işbilir A, Dogan B, Lohse MJ, Durdagi S, Birgul-Iyison N. Structural and Functional Characterization of Allatostatin Receptor Type-C of Thaumetopoea pityocampa, a Potential Target for Next-Generation Pest Control Agents. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:715-728. [PMID: 33476150 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Insect neuropeptide receptors, including allatostatin receptor type C (AstR-C), a G protein-coupled receptor, are among the potential targets for designing next-generation pesticides that despite their importance in offering a new mode-of-action have been overlooked. Focusing on AstR-C of Thaumetopoea pityocampa, a common pest in Mediterranean countries, by employing resonance energy transfer-based methods, we showed Gαi/o coupling and β-arrestin recruitment of the receptor at sub-nanomolar and nanomolar ranges of the endogenous ligand, AST-C, respectively. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed the importance of extracellular loop 2 in AstRC/AST-C interaction, and a combination of in silico and in vitro approaches showed the substantial role of Q2716.55 in G protein-dependent activation of AstR-C possibly via contributing to the flexibility of the receptor's structure. The functional and structural insights obtained on T. pit AstR-C positively assist future efforts in developing environmentally friendly pest control agents that are needed urgently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Shahraki
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bogazici University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey.,Computational Biology and Molecular Simulations Laboratory, Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, 34734 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ali Işbilir
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Helmholz Association, 13125 Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Berna Dogan
- Computational Biology and Molecular Simulations Laboratory, Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, 34734 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Martin J Lohse
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Helmholz Association, 13125 Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany.,ISAR Bioscience Institute, Planegg, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Serdar Durdagi
- Computational Biology and Molecular Simulations Laboratory, Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, 34734 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Necla Birgul-Iyison
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bogazici University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
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Huang SS, Chen SS, Zhang HL, Yang H, Yang HJ, Ren YJ, Kai ZP. Structure-Based Discovery of Nonpeptide Allatostatin Analogues for Pest Control. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:3644-3650. [PMID: 29566485 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
FGLamide allatostatins (ASTs) are regarded as possible insecticide candidates, although their lack of in vivo effects, rapid degradation, poor water solubility, and high production costs preclude their practical use in pest control. In contrast to previous research, the C-terminal tripeptide (FGLa) was selected as the lead compound in this study. Five nonpeptide AST analogues (2-amino-1-[3-oxo-3-(substituted-anilino)propyl]pyridinium nitrate derivatives) were designed on the basis of the structure-activity relationship and docking results of FGLa. All of the nonpeptide analogues (S1-S5) were more potent against juvenile-hormone (JH) biosynthesis than the lead compound. They significantly inhibited the biosynthesis of JH in vivo following injection. A pest-control application demonstrated that S1 and S3 have larvicidal effects following oral administration (the IC50 values were 0.020 and 0.0016 mg/g, respectively). The good oral toxicities and excellent water solubilities of S1 and S3 suggest that they have considerable potential as insecticides for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Shan Huang
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Shanghai Institute of Technology , Shanghai 201418 , PR China
| | - Shan-Shan Chen
- Institute of Agro-food Standards and Testing Technologies , Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Science , Shanghai 201403 , PR China
| | - Hong-Ling Zhang
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Shanghai Institute of Technology , Shanghai 201418 , PR China
| | - Han Yang
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Shanghai Institute of Technology , Shanghai 201418 , PR China
| | - Hui-Juan Yang
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Shanghai Institute of Technology , Shanghai 201418 , PR China
| | - Yu-Jie Ren
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Shanghai Institute of Technology , Shanghai 201418 , PR China
| | - Zhen-Peng Kai
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Shanghai Institute of Technology , Shanghai 201418 , PR China
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4
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Verlinden H, Gijbels M, Lismont E, Lenaerts C, Vanden Broeck J, Marchal E. The pleiotropic allatoregulatory neuropeptides and their receptors: A mini-review. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 80:2-14. [PMID: 25982521 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile hormones (JH) are highly pleiotropic insect hormones essential for post-embryonic development. The circulating JH titer in the hemolymph of insects is influenced by enzymatic degradation, binding to JH carrier proteins, uptake and storage in target organs, but evidently also by rates of production at its site of synthesis, the corpora allata (CA). The multiple processes in which JH is involved alongside the critical significance of JH in insect development emphasize the importance for elucidating the control of JH production. Production of JH in CA cells is regulated by different factors: by neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and glutamate, but also by allatoregulatory neuropeptides originating from the brain and axonally transported to the CA where they bind to their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Different classes of allatoregulatory peptides exist which have other functions aside from acting as influencers of JH production. These pleiotropic neuropeptides regulate different processes in different insect orders. In this mini-review, we will give an overview of allatotropins and allatostatins, and their recently characterized GPCRs with a view to better understand their modes of action and different action sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Verlinden
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Marijke Gijbels
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Els Lismont
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Cynthia Lenaerts
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Elisabeth Marchal
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Matthews HJ, Down RE, Audsley N. Effects of Manduca sexta allatostatin and an analogue on the peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae (hemiptera: aphididae) and degradation by enzymes in the aphid gut. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 75:139-157. [PMID: 20936640 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The oral toxicity of the C-type allatostatin, Manduca sexta allatostatin (Manse-AS) and the analogue δR³δR⁵Manse-AS, where R residues were replaced by their D-isomers, were tested against the peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae by incorporation into an artificial diet. Both peptides had significant dose-dependent effects on mortality, growth, and fecundity compared with control insects. The analogue, δR³δR⁵Manse-AS, had an estimated LC₅₀ of 0.31 µg/µl diet and was more potent than Manse-AS (estimated LC₅₀ of 0.58 µg/µl diet). At a dose of 0.35 µg δR³δR⁵Manse-AS/µl diet, 76% of the aphids were dead after 6 days and all were dead after 10 days. In comparison, three times the dose of Manse-AS was required to achieve 74% mortality after 8 days and 98% mortality after 16 days. The degradation of both peptides by extracts prepared from the gut of M. persicae was investigated. The estimated half-life of Manse-AS, when incubated with the gut extract from M. persicae, was 31 min. Degradation was due to a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease, carboxypeptidase-like activity, endoprotease activity with glutamine specificity, pyroglutamate aminopeptidase activity, and possibly trypsin-like proteases. The half-life of the δR³δR⁵ Manse-AS analogue was enhanced (73 min) with the D-isomers of R appearing to prevent cleavage around the R residues by cathepsin L-like cysteine proteases or from trypsin-like proteases. The greater stability of the analogue may explain its increased potency in M. persicae. This work demonstrates the potential use of Manse-AS and analogues, with greater resistance to enzymatic attack, in aphid control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H June Matthews
- The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, United Kingdom.
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Dickinson PS, Wiwatpanit T, Gabranski ER, Ackerman RJ, Stevens JS, Cashman CR, Stemmler EA, Christie AE. Identification of SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide: a broadly conserved crustacean C-type allatostatin-like peptide with both neuromodulatory and cardioactive properties. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 212:1140-52. [PMID: 19423507 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.028621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The allatostatins comprise three structurally distinct peptide families that regulate juvenile hormone production by the insect corpora allata. A-type family members contain the C-terminal motif -YXFGLamide and have been found in species from numerous arthropod taxa. Members of the B-type family exhibit a -WX(6)Wamide C-terminus and, like the A-type peptides, appear to be broadly conserved within the Arthropoda. By contrast, members of the C-type family, typified by the unblocked C-terminus -PISCF, a pyroglutamine blocked N-terminus, and a disulfide bridge between two internal Cys residues, have only been found in holometabolous insects, i.e. lepidopterans and dipterans. Here, using transcriptomics, we have identified SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide (disulfide bridging predicted between the two Cys residues), a known honeybee and water flea C-type-like peptide, from the American lobster Homarus americanus (infraorder Astacidea). Using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (MALDI-FTMS), a mass corresponding to that of SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide was detected in the H. americanus brain, supporting the existence of this peptide and its theorized structure. Furthermore, SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide was detected by MALDI-FTMS in neural tissues from five additional astacideans as well as 19 members of four other decapod infraorders (i.e. Achelata, Anomura, Brachyura and Thalassinidea), suggesting that it is a broadly conserved decapod peptide. In H. americanus, SYWKQCAFNAVSCFamide is capable of modulating the output of both the pyloric circuit of the stomatogastric nervous system and the heart. This is the first demonstration of bioactivity for this peptide in any species.
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Audsley N, Weaver RJ. Neuropeptides associated with the regulation of feeding in insects. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 162:93-104. [PMID: 18775723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2008] [Revised: 07/01/2008] [Accepted: 08/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The stomatogastric nervous system plays a pivotal role in feeding behaviour. Central to this system is the frontal ganglion, which is responsible for foregut motor activity, and hence the passage of food through the gut. Many insect peptides, which exhibit myoactivity on the visceral muscles of the gut in vitro, have been detected in the stomatogastric nervous system by immunochemical or mass spectrometric techniques. This localisation of myoactive peptides, particularly in the frontal ganglion, implies roles for these peptides in the neural control and modulation of feeding in insects. Insect sulfakinins, tachykinins, allatotropin and proctolin have all been shown to stimulate the foregut muscles, whereas myosuppressins, myoinhibitory peptides and allatostatins all inhibited spontaneous contractions of the foregut in a variety of insects. Some of these peptides, when injected, inhibited feeding in vivo. Both the A-type and B-type allatostatins suppressed feeding activity when injected into the cockroach, Blattella germanica and the Manduca sexta C-type allatostatin and allatotropin inhibited feeding when injected into the larvae of two noctuid moths, Lacanobia oleracea and Spodoptera frugiperda, respectively. Injection of sulfakinins into the fly Phormia regina, the locust Schistocera gregaria and the cockroach B. germanica also suppressed feeding, whereas silencing the sulfakinin gene through the injection of double stranded RNA resulted in an increase in food consumption in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The regulation of feeding in insects is clearly very complex, and involves the interaction of a number of mechanisms, one of which is the release, either centrally or locally, of neuropeptides. However, the role of neuropeptides, their mechanisms of action, interactions with each other, and their release are still poorly understood. It is also unclear why insects possess such a number of different peptides, some with multiples copies or homologues, which stimulate or inhibit gut motility, and how their release, sometimes from the same neurone, is regulated. These neuropeptides may also act at sites other than visceral muscles, such as centrally through the brain or on gut stretch receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Audsley
- Environmental Biology Group, Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
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Gard AL, Lenz PH, Shaw JR, Christie AE. Identification of putative peptide paracrines/hormones in the water flea Daphnia pulex (Crustacea; Branchiopoda; Cladocera) using transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 160:271-87. [PMID: 19135444 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2008] [Revised: 12/11/2008] [Accepted: 12/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The cladoceran crustacean Daphnia pulex has emerged as a model species for many biological fields, in particular environmental toxicology and toxicogenomics. Recently, this species has been the subject of an extensive transcriptome project, resulting in the generation and public deposition of over 150,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs). This resource makes D. pulex an excellent model for protein discovery using bioinformatics. Here, in silico searches of the D. pulex EST database were conducted to identify transcripts encoding putative peptide precursors. Moreover, the mature peptides contained within the deduced prepro-hormones were predicted using online peptide processing programs and homology to known arthropod isoforms. In total, 63 putative peptide-encoding ESTs were identified encompassing 14 distinct peptide families/subfamilies: A-type allatostatin, B-type allatostatin, C-type allatostatin, bursicon (both alpha and beta subunit peptides), crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH)/ion transport peptide (both CHH- and moult-inhibiting hormone-like subfamilies), diuretic hormone (calcitonin-like), ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH), FMRFamide (both neuropeptide F and short neuropeptide F subfamilies), orcokinin and pigment dispersing hormone. From these transcripts, the structures of 76 full-length/partial peptides were predicted, which included the first C-type allatostatin-like peptide identified from a crustacean, the first crustacean calcitonin-like diuretic hormone, an undescribed CCAP isoform, two hitherto unknown ETH variants, and two new orcokinins. Neuronal localization of several of the identified peptide families was confirmed using immunohistochemitry (i.e. A-type allatostatin, CCAP, FMRFamide and PDH). In addition, immunohistochemical analyses identified other putative neuropeptides for which no ESTs had been found (i.e. corazonin, insect kinin, proctolin, red pigment concentrating hormone, SIFamide, sulfakinin and tachykinin-related peptide). Collectively, the data presented here not only catalog an extensive array of putative D. pulex peptide paracrines/hormones, but also provide a strong foundation for future investigations of the effects of environmental/anthropogenic stressors on peptidergic control in this model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Gard
- Center for Marine Functional Genomics, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, ME 04672, USA
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Matthews HJ, Audsley N, Weaver RJ. In vitro and in vivo effects of myo-active peptides on larvae of the tomato moth Lacanobia oleracea and the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2008; 69:60-69. [PMID: 18780345 DOI: 10.1002/arch.20265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides from five different neuropeptide families [Manduca sexta allatostatin (Manse-AS), and Manse-AS deletion analogue(5-15), M. sexta allatotropin (Manse-AT), leucomyosuppressin, perisulfakinin, and myoinhibitory peptide I (MIP I)] were assayed for their ability to affect the development and food consumption of penultimate and last larval instars of two lepidopteran species, L. oleracea and S. littoralis. Injections of Manse-AS deletion analogue(5-15), Manse-AT, perisulfakinin, and MIP I had no observable effects on development, food consumption, or mortality compared to controls. Single injections of Manse-AS significantly reduced the weight gain and increased mortality of L. oleracea and S. littoralis larvae compared to controls. By contrast, feeding Manse-AS to L. oleracea had no such effects. These differences were probably due to the degradation of the peptide by digestive enzymes in the foregut of L. oleracea. In studies in vitro, perisulfakinin, and MIP I had no effect on the spontaneous foregut contractions of L. oleracea larvae. Leucomyosuppressin, however, had myoinhibitory effects on the foregut. Single injections of leucomyosuppressin significantly reduced the weight gain and food consumption of L. oleracea and S. littoralis larvae and increased mortality. These data suggest that the deleterious effects observed in vivo were due to the myoinhibition by Manse-AS and leucomyosuppressin of the normal peristaltic movements of the gut either by the intact peptide or by its cleavage products resulting from degradation in the haemolymph.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Matthews
- Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, United Kingdom.
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Audsley N, Matthews HJ, Price NR, Weaver RJ. Allatoregulatory peptides in Lepidoptera, structures, distribution and functions. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2008; 54:969-980. [PMID: 18377924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2007] [Revised: 01/18/2008] [Accepted: 01/22/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Allatoregulatory peptides either inhibit (allatostatins) or stimulate (allatotropins) juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis by the corpora allata (CA) of insects. However, these peptides are pleitropic, the regulation of JH biosynthesis is not their only function. There are currently three allatostatin families (A-, B-, and C-type allatostatins) that inhibit JH biosynthesis, and two structurally unrelated allatotropins. The C-type allatostatin, characterised by its blocked N-terminus and a disulphide bridge between its two cysteine residues, was originally isolated from Manduca sexta. This peptide exists only in a single from in Lepidoptera and is the only peptide that has been shown to inhibit JH synthesis by the CA in vitro in this group of insects. The C-type allatostatin also inhibits spontaneous contractions of the foregut. The A-type allatostatins, which exist in multiple forms in a single insect, have also been characterised from Lepidoptera. This family of peptides does not appear to have any regulatory effect on JH biosynthesis, but does inhibit foregut muscle contractions. Two structurally unrelated allatotropins stimulate JH biosynthesis in Lepidoptera. The first was identified in M. sexta (Manse-AT) and occurs in other moths. The second (Spofr AT2) has only been identified in Spodoptera frugiperda. Manduca sexta allatotropin also stimulates heart muscle contractions and gut peristalsis, and inhibits ion transport across the midgut of larval M. sexta. The C-terminal (amide) pentapeptide of Manse-AT is important for JH biosynthesis activity. The most active conformation of Manse-AS requires the disulphide bridge, although the aromatic residues also have a significant effect on biological activity. Both A- and C-type allatostatins and Manse-AT are localised in neurosecretory cells of the brain and are present in the corpora cardiaca, CA and ventral nerve cord, although variations in localisation exist in different moths and at different stages of development. The presence of Manse-AS and Manse-AT in the CA correlates with the biological activity of these peptides on JH biosynthesis. There is currently no explanation for the presence of A-type allatostatins in the CA. The three peptide types are also co-localised in neurosecretory cells of the frontal ganglion, and are present in the recurrent nerve that supplies the muscles of the gut, particularly the crop and stomodeal valve, in agreement with their role in the regulation of gut peristalsis. There is also evidence that they are expressed in the midgut and reproductive tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Audsley
- Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
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12
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Holtzhausen WD, Nicolson SW. Beetle diuretic peptides: the response of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Malpighian tubules to synthetic peptides, and cross-reactivity studies with a dung beetle (Onthophagus gazella). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2007; 53:361-9. [PMID: 17292388 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2006.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2006] [Revised: 12/15/2006] [Accepted: 12/21/2006] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports the effects of different diuretic factors on the Malpighian tubules of beetles. Calcitonin (CT)-like peptides from silkmoth and mosquito increase fluid secretion in a dose-dependent manner in the tubules of Tenebrio molitor, but the cockroach CT-like peptide, Dippu-DH(31), has no effect. Thapsigargin induces a small but significant increase in tubule secretion rates. The interactions between different factors in mealworm tubules were explored by testing CT-like peptides, thapsigargin and the mealworm CRF-related diuretic factor Tenmo-DH(37) in various combinations, but no synergistic effects were observed. C-terminal fragments of the CRF-related diuretic peptides Locmi-DH(46) and Dippu-DH(46) fail to increase fluid secretion in mealworm tubules, unlike their corresponding whole peptides. Cross-reactivity of factors between beetle species was investigated using the scarabaeid Onthophagus gazella. Tenmo-DH(37) increases fluid secretion in isolated tubules of O. gazella in a dose-dependent manner, revealing a high degree of cross-reactivity in this distantly related beetle species. However, homogenates of O. gazella brains inhibited fluid secretion in mealworm tubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- W D Holtzhausen
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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Matthews HJ, Audsley N, Weaver RJ. Interactions between allatostatins and allatotropin on spontaneous contractions of the foregut of larval Lacanobia oleracea. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2007; 53:75-83. [PMID: 17150228 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2006.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2006] [Revised: 10/17/2006] [Accepted: 10/19/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between the activity of three neuropeptides, Manduca sexta allatostatin (Manse-AS), M. sexta allatotropin (Manse-AT) and cydiastatin 4, on the spontaneous foregut contractions of the tomato moth, Lacanobia oleracea, were investigated. Bioassays revealed that application of Manse-AS to the foregut at high concentrations (10(-7)M) stopped contractions completely, and this inhibition could not be reversed by Manse-AT. Conversely, Manse-AS could inhibit a Manse-AT stimulated tissue. In contrast, Manse-AT reversed the inhibition of foregut peristalsis by cydiastatin 4 (10(-7)M), and cydiastatin 4 counteracted the stimulation by Manse-AT. These results imply that the Manse-AS inhibitory effect is dominant over the stimulatory action of Manse-AT. However, when two peptides with opposing actions were added together, the overall effect on foregut peristalsis was determined by the relative concentrations of each peptide, suggesting that in these experiments, no peptide was dominant over the other. When Manse-AS and cydiastatin 4 were applied to foregut tissues simultaneously the overall effect was not significantly different to the individual peptides, i.e. there was no additive effect. This suggests that the individual activities of Manse-AS and cydiastatin 4 are suppressed by an undetermined mechanism in the presence of the other peptide. These results question the need for two structurally different allatostatins that have the same physiological effect on foregut peristalsis in L. oleracea larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Matthews
- Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
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Li Y, Hernandez-Martinez S, Fernandez F, Mayoral JG, Topalis P, Priestap H, Perez M, Navare A, Noriega FG. Biochemical, molecular, and functional characterization of PISCF-allatostatin, a regulator of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:34048-55. [PMID: 16968697 PMCID: PMC2647716 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m606341200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti PISCF-allatostatin or allatostatin-C (Ae-AS-C) was isolated using a combination of high performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrum of positive ELISA fractions revealed a molecular mass of 1919.0 Da, in agreement with the sequence qIRYRQCYFNPISCF, with bridged cysteines. This sequence was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem TOF/TOF mass spectrometry analysis. The corresponding Ae-AS-C cDNA was amplified by PCR, and the sequence of the peptide was confirmed. An in vitro radiochemical assay was used to study the inhibitory effect of synthetic Ae-AS-C on juvenile hormone biosynthesis by the isolated corpora allata (CA) of adult female A. aegypti. The inhibitory action of synthetic Ae-AS-C was dose-dependent; with a maximum at 10(-9) m. Ae-AS-C showed no inhibitory activity in the presence of farnesoic acid, an immediate precursor of juvenile hormone, indicating that the Ae-AS-C target is located before the formation of farnesoic acid in the pathway. The sensitivity of the CA to inhibition by Ae-AS-C in the in vitro assay varied during the adult life; the CA was most sensitive during periods of low synthetic activity. In addition, the levels of Ae-AS-C in the brain were studied using ELISA and reached a maximum at 3 days after eclosion. These studies suggest that Ae-AS-C is an important regulator of CA activity in A. aegypti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiping Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Salvador Hernandez-Martinez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62100, México
| | - Facundo Fernandez
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332
| | - Jaime G. Mayoral
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Pantelis Topalis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, GR-71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Horacio Priestap
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Mario Perez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Arti Navare
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332
| | - Fernando G. Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Dept. of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, FL 33199. Tel.: 305-348-6632; Fax: 305-348-1986; E-mail:
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