1
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Rai M, Li H, Policastro RA, Zentner GE, Nemkov T, D’Alessandro A, Tennessen JM. Glycolytic Disruption Triggers Interorgan Signaling to Nonautonomously Restrict Drosophila Larval Growth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.06.597835. [PMID: 38895259 PMCID: PMC11185712 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.06.597835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Drosophila larval growth requires efficient conversion of dietary nutrients into biomass. Lactate Dehydrogenase (Ldh) and Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gpdh1) support larval biosynthetic metabolism by maintaining NAD+/NADH redox balance and promoting glycolytic flux. Consistent with the cooperative functions of Ldh and Gpdh1, the loss of both enzymes, but neither single enzyme, induces a developmental arrest. However, Ldh and Gpdh1 exhibit complex and often mutually exclusive expression patterns, suggesting that the Gpdh1; Ldh double mutant lethal phenotype could be mediated nonautonomously. Here we find that the developmental arrest displayed by the double mutants extends beyond simple metabolic disruption and instead stems, in part, from changes in systemic growth factor signaling. Specifically, we demonstrate that this synthetic lethality is linked to the upregulation of Upd3, a cytokine involved in the Jak/Stat signaling pathway. Moreover, we demonstrate that either loss of the Upd3 or dietary administration of the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) rescue the synthetic lethal phenotype of Gpdh1; Ldh double mutants. Together, these findings demonstrate that metabolic disruptions within a single tissue can nonautonomously modulate interorgan signaling to ensure synchronous developmental growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhulika Rai
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Hongde Li
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | | | - Travis Nemkov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado, USA
| | - Angelo D’Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado, USA
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2
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Scanlan JL, Robin C. Phylogenomics of the Ecdysteroid Kinase-like (EcKL) Gene Family in Insects Highlights Roles in Both Steroid Hormone Metabolism and Detoxification. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae019. [PMID: 38291829 PMCID: PMC10859841 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae019] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary dynamics of large gene families can offer important insights into the functions of their individual members. While the ecdysteroid kinase-like (EcKL) gene family has previously been linked to the metabolism of both steroid molting hormones and xenobiotic toxins, the functions of nearly all EcKL genes are unknown, and there is little information on their evolution across all insects. Here, we perform comprehensive phylogenetic analyses on a manually annotated set of EcKL genes from 140 insect genomes, revealing the gene family is comprised of at least 13 subfamilies that differ in retention and stability. Our results show the only two genes known to encode ecdysteroid kinases belong to different subfamilies and therefore ecdysteroid metabolism functions must be spread throughout the EcKL family. We provide comparative phylogenomic evidence that EcKLs are involved in detoxification across insects, with positive associations between family size and dietary chemical complexity, and we also find similar evidence for the cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase gene families. Unexpectedly, we find that the size of the clade containing a known ecdysteroid kinase is positively associated with host plant taxonomic diversity in Lepidoptera, possibly suggesting multiple functional shifts between hormone and xenobiotic metabolism. Our evolutionary analyses provide hypotheses of function and a robust framework for future experimental studies of the EcKL gene family. They also open promising new avenues for exploring the genomic basis of dietary adaptation in insects, including the classically studied coevolution of butterflies with their host plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack L Scanlan
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Charles Robin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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3
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Hussain M, Qi Z, Hedges LM, Nouzova M, Noriega FG, Asgari S. Investigating the role of aae-miR-34-5p in the regulation of juvenile hormone biosynthesis genes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19023. [PMID: 37923767 PMCID: PMC10624809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46154-4] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) controls the development and reproduction of insects. Therefore, a tight regulation of the expression of JH biosynthetic enzymes is critical. microRNAs (miRNAs) play significant roles in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by interacting with complementary sequences in target genes. Previously, we reported that several miRNAs were differentially expressed during three developmental stages of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with different JH levels (no JH, high JH, and low JH). One of these miRNAs was aae-miR-34-5p. In this study, we identified the presence of potential target sequences of aae-miR-34-5p in the transcripts of some genes encoding JH biosynthetic enzymes. We analysed the developmental expression patterns of aae-miR-34-5p and the predicted target genes involved in JH biogenesis. Increases in miRNA abundance were followed, with a delay, by decreases in transcript levels of target genes. Application of an inhibitor and a mimic of aae-miR-34-5p led respectively to increased and decreased levels of thiolase transcripts, which is one of the early genes of JH biosynthesis. Female adult mosquitoes injected with an aae-miR-34-5p inhibitor exhibited significantly increased transcript levels of three genes encoding JH biosynthetic enzymes, acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (thiolase), farnesyl diphosphate phosphatase, and farnesal dehydrogenase. Overall, our results suggest a potential role of miRNAs in JH production by directly targeting genes involved in its biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazhar Hussain
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Zhi Qi
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lauren M Hedges
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Marcela Nouzova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Fernando G Noriega
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Parasitology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sassan Asgari
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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4
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Clark JM, Gibbs AG. Starvation selection reduces and delays larval ecdysone production and signaling. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246144. [PMID: 37671530 PMCID: PMC10560552 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246144] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that selection for starvation resistance in Drosophila melanogaster results in delayed eclosion and increased adult fat stores. It is assumed that these traits are caused by the starvation selection pressure, but its mechanism is unknown. We found that our starvation-selected (SS) population stores more fat during larval development and has extended larval development and pupal development time. Developmental checkpoints in the third instar associated with ecdysteroid hormone pulses are increasingly delayed. The delay in the late larval period seen in the SS population is indicative of reduced and delayed ecdysone signaling. An enzyme immunoassay for ecdysteroids (with greatest affinity to the metabolically active 20-hydroxyecdysone and the α-ecdysone precursor) confirmed that the SS population had reduced and delayed hormone production compared with that of fed control (FC) flies. Feeding third instar larvae on food supplemented with α-ecdysone partially rescued the developmental delay and reduced subsequent adult starvation resistance. This work suggests that starvation selection causes reduced and delayed production of ecdysteroids in the larval stage and affects the developmental delay phenotype that contributes to subsequent adult fat storage and starvation resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Clark
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004, USA
| | - Allen G. Gibbs
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004, USA
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5
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Truman JW, Riddiford LM. Drosophila postembryonic nervous system development: a model for the endocrine control of development. Genetics 2023; 223:iyac184. [PMID: 36645270 PMCID: PMC9991519 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
During postembryonic life, hormones, including ecdysteroids, juvenile hormones, insulin-like peptides, and activin/TGFβ ligands act to transform the larval nervous system into an adult version, which is a fine-grained mosaic of recycled larval neurons and adult-specific neurons. Hormones provide both instructional signals that make cells competent to undergo developmental change and timing cues to evoke these changes across the nervous system. While touching on all the above hormones, our emphasis is on the ecdysteroids, ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). These are the prime movers of insect molting and metamorphosis and are involved in all phases of nervous system development, including neurogenesis, pruning, arbor outgrowth, and cell death. Ecdysteroids appear as a series of steroid peaks that coordinate the larval molts and the different phases of metamorphosis. Each peak directs a stereotyped cascade of transcription factor expression. The cascade components then direct temporal programs of effector gene expression, but the latter vary markedly according to tissue and life stage. The neurons read the ecdysteroid titer through various isoforms of the ecdysone receptor, a nuclear hormone receptor. For example, at metamorphosis the pruning of larval neurons is mediated through the B isoforms, which have strong activation functions, whereas subsequent outgrowth is mediated through the A isoform through which ecdysteroids play a permissive role to allow local tissue interactions to direct outgrowth. The major circulating ecdysteroid can also change through development. During adult development ecdysone promotes early adult patterning and differentiation while its metabolite, 20E, later evokes terminal adult differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Truman
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lynn M Riddiford
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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6
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Noncoding RNA Regulation of Hormonal and Metabolic Systems in the Fruit Fly Drosophila. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13020152. [PMID: 36837772 PMCID: PMC9967906 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of RNAs is commonly recognised thanks to protein-coding RNAs, whereas non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were conventionally regarded as 'junk'. In the last decade, ncRNAs' significance and roles are becoming noticeable in various biological activities, including those in hormonal and metabolic regulation. Among the ncRNAs: microRNA (miRNA) is a small RNA transcript with ~20 nucleotides in length; long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is an RNA transcript with >200 nucleotides; and circular RNA (circRNA) is derived from back-splicing of pre-mRNA. These ncRNAs can regulate gene expression levels at epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels through various mechanisms in insects. A better understanding of these crucial regulators is essential to both basic and applied entomology. In this review, we intend to summarise and discuss the current understanding and knowledge of miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA in the best-studied insect model, the fruit fly Drosophila.
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7
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Scanlan JL, Robin C, Mirth CK. Rethinking the ecdysteroid source during Drosophila pupal-adult development. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 152:103891. [PMID: 36481381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ecdysteroids, typified by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), are essential hormones for the development, reproduction and physiology of insects and other arthropods. For over half a century, the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster (Ephydroidea: Diptera) has been used as a model of ecdysteroid biology. Many aspects of the biosynthesis and regulation of ecdysteroids in this species are understood at the molecular level, particularly with respect to their secretion from the prothoracic gland (PG) cells of the ring gland, widely considered the dominant biosynthetic tissue during development. Discrete pulses of 20E orchestrate transitions during the D. melanogaster life cycle, the sources of which are generally well understood, apart from the large 20E pulse at the onset of pharate adult development, which has received little recent attention. As the source of this pharate adult pulse (PAP) is a curious blind spot in Drosophila endocrinology, we evaluate published biochemical and genetic data as they pertain to three hypotheses for the source of PAP 20E: the PG; an alternative biosynthetic tissue; or the recycling of stored 20E. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we contend the PAP cannot be derived from biosynthesis, with other data consistent with D. melanogaster able to recycle ecdysteroids before and during metamorphosis. Published data also suggest the PAP is conserved across Diptera, with evidence for pupal-adult ecdysteroid recycling occurring in other cyclorrhaphan flies. Further experimental work is required to test the ecdysteroid recycling hypothesis, which would establish fundamental knowledge of the function, regulation, and evolution of metamorphic hormones in dipterans and other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack L Scanlan
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| | - Charles Robin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Christen K Mirth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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8
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Chen SL, Liu BT, Lee WP, Liao SB, Deng YB, Wu CL, Ho SM, Shen BX, Khoo GH, Shiu WC, Chang CH, Shih HW, Wen JK, Lan TH, Lin CC, Tsai YC, Tzeng HF, Fu TF. WAKE-mediated modulation of cVA perception via a hierarchical neuro-endocrine axis in Drosophila male-male courtship behaviour. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2518. [PMID: 35523813 PMCID: PMC9076693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nervous and endocrine systems coordinate with each other to closely influence physiological and behavioural responses in animals. Here we show that WAKE (encoded by wide awake, also known as wake) modulates membrane levels of GABAA receptor Resistance to Dieldrin (Rdl), in insulin-producing cells of adult male Drosophila melanogaster. This results in changes to secretion of insulin-like peptides which is associated with changes in juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the corpus allatum, which in turn leads to a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. A reduction in ecdysone signalling changes neural architecture and lowers the perception of the male-specific sex pheromone 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate by odorant receptor 67d olfactory neurons. These finding explain why WAKE-deficient in Drosophila elicits significant male-male courtship behaviour. The authors show that the Drosophila master regulator WAKE modulates the secretion of insulin-like peptides, triggering a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. This lowers the perception of a male-specific sex pheromone and explains why WAKE-deficient Drosophila flies show male-male courtship behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiu-Ling Chen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Ting Liu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Wang-Pao Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Bo Liao
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.,Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Bang Deng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lin Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shuk-Man Ho
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Xian Shen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Hock Khoo
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chiang Shiu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Shih
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Kun Wen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsuo-Hung Lan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Tsaotun Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Nantou, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chien Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Tsai
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Huey-Fen Tzeng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
| | - Tsai-Feng Fu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
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9
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Hutfilz C. Endocrine Regulation of Lifespan in Insect Diapause. Front Physiol 2022; 13:825057. [PMID: 35242054 PMCID: PMC8886022 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.825057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Diapause is a physiological adaptation to conditions that are unfavorable for growth or reproduction. During diapause, animals become long-lived, stress-resistant, developmentally static, and non-reproductive, in the case of diapausing adults. Diapause has been observed at all developmental stages in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In adults, diapause traits weaken into adaptations such as hibernation, estivation, dormancy, or torpor, which represent evolutionarily diverse versions of the traditional diapause traits. These traits are regulated through modifications of the endocrine program guiding development. In insects, this typically includes changes in molting hormones, as well as metabolic signals that limit growth while skewing the organism's energetic demands toward conservation. While much work has been done to characterize these modifications, the interactions between hormones and their downstream consequences are incompletely understood. The current state of diapause endocrinology is reviewed here to highlight the relevance of diapause beyond its use as a model to study seasonality and development. Specifically, insect diapause is an emerging model to study mechanisms that determine lifespan. The induction of diapause represents a dramatic change in the normal progression of age. Hormones such as juvenile hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and prothoracicotropic hormone are well-known to modulate this plasticity. The induction of diapause-and by extension, the cessation of normal aging-is coordinated by interactions between these pathways. However, research directly connecting diapause endocrinology to the biology of aging is lacking. This review explores connections between diapause and aging through the perspective of endocrine signaling. The current state of research in both fields suggests appreciable overlap that will greatly contribute to our understanding of diapause and lifespan determination.
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Adhitama N, Kato Y, Matsuura T, Watanabe H. Roles of and cross-talk between ecdysteroid and sesquiterpenoid pathways in embryogenesis of branchiopod crustacean Daphnia magna. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239893. [PMID: 33035251 PMCID: PMC7546464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecdysteroid and sesquiterpenoid pathways control growth, developmental transition, and embryogenesis in insects. However, the function of orthologous genes and the cross-talk between both pathways remain largely uncharacterized in non-insect arthropods. Spook (Spo) and Juvenile hormone acid o-methyltransferase (Jhamt) have been suggested to function as rate-limiting factors in ecdysteroid and sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis, respectively, in insects. In this study, we report on the functions of Spo and Jhamt and the cross-talk between them in embryos of the branchiopod crustacean Daphnia magna. Spo expression was activated at the onset of gastrulation, with the depletion of Spo transcript by RNAi resulting in developmental arrest at this stage. This phenotype could be partially rescued by supplementation with 20-hydroxyecdysone, indicating that Spo may play the same role in ecdysteroid biosynthesis in early embryos, as reported in insects. After hatching, Spo expression was repressed, while Jhamt expression was activated transiently, despite its silencing during other embryonic stages. Jhamt RNAi showed little effect on survival, but shortened the embryonic period. Exposure to the sesquiterpenoid analog Fenoxycarb extended the embryonic period and rescued the Jhamt RNAi phenotype, demonstrating a previously unidentified role of sesquiterpenoid in the repression of precocious embryogenesis. Interestingly, the knockdown of Jhamt resulted in the derepression of ecdysteroid biosynthesis genes, including Spo, similar to regulation during insect hormonal biosynthesis. Sesquiterpenoid signaling via the Methoprene-tolerant gene was found to be responsible for the repression of ecdysteroid biosynthesis genes. It upregulated an ortholog of CYP18a1 that degrades ecdysteroid in insects. These results illuminate the conserved and specific functions of the ecdysteroid and sesquiterpenoid pathways in Daphnia embryos. We also infer that the common ancestor of branchiopod crustaceans and insects exhibited antagonism between the two endocrine hormones before their divergence 400 million years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikko Adhitama
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Biotechnology Global Human Resource Development Program, Division of Advanced Science and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Kato
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Frontier Research Base of Global Young Researchers, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Matsuura
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hajime Watanabe
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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11
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Zhao XF. G protein-coupled receptors function as cell membrane receptors for the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. Cell Commun Signal 2020; 18:146. [PMID: 32907599 PMCID: PMC7488307 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-020-00620-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell membrane receptors for various ligands. Recent studies have suggested that GPCRs transmit animal steroid hormone signals. Certain GPCRs have been shown to bind steroid hormones, for example, G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) binds estrogen in humans, and Drosophila dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor (DopEcR) binds the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) in insects. This review summarizes the research progress on GPCRs as animal steroid hormone cell membrane receptors, including the nuclear and cell membrane receptors of steroid hormones in mammals and insects, the 20E signaling cascade via GPCRs, termination of 20E signaling, and the relationship between genomic action and the nongenomic action of 20E. Studies indicate that 20E induces a signal via GPCRs to regulate rapid cellular responses, including rapid Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and influx from the extracellular medium, as well as rapid protein phosphorylation and subcellular translocation. 20E via the GPCR/Ca2+/PKC/signaling axis and the GPCR/cAMP/PKA-signaling axis regulates gene transcription by adjusting transcription complex formation and DNA binding activity. GPCRs can bind 20E in the cell membrane and after being isolated, suggesting GPCRs as cell membrane receptors of 20E. This review deepens our understanding of GPCRs as steroid hormone cell membrane receptors and the GPCR-mediated signaling pathway of 20E (20E-GPCR pathway), which will promote further study of steroid hormone signaling via GPCRs, and presents GPCRs as targets to explore new pharmaceutical materials to treat steroid hormone-related diseases or control pest insects. Video abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fan Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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12
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Vea IM, Shingleton AW. Network-regulated organ allometry: The developmental regulation of morphological scaling. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 10:e391. [PMID: 32567243 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Morphological scaling relationships, or allometries, describe how traits grow coordinately and covary among individuals in a population. The developmental regulation of scaling is essential to generate correctly proportioned adults across a range of body sizes, while the mis-regulation of scaling may result in congenital birth defects. Research over several decades has identified the developmental mechanisms that regulate the size of individual traits. Nevertheless, we still have poor understanding of how these mechanisms work together to generate correlated size variation among traits in response to environmental and genetic variation. Conceptually, morphological scaling can be generated by size-regulatory factors that act directly on multiple growing traits (trait-autonomous scaling), or indirectly via hormones produced by central endocrine organs (systemically regulated scaling), and there are a number of well-established examples of such mechanisms. There is much less evidence, however, that genetic and environmental variation actually acts on these mechanisms to generate morphological scaling in natural populations. More recent studies indicate that growing organs can themselves regulate the growth of other organs in the body. This suggests that covariation in trait size can be generated by network-regulated scaling mechanisms that respond to changes in the growth of individual traits. Testing this hypothesis, and one of the main challenges of understanding morphological scaling, requires connecting mechanisms elucidated in the laboratory with patterns of scaling observed in the natural world. This article is categorized under: Establishment of Spatial and Temporal Patterns > Regulation of Size, Proportion, and Timing Comparative Development and Evolution > Organ System Comparisons Between Species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle M Vea
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alexander W Shingleton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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13
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20-Hydroxyecdysone Primes Innate Immune Responses That Limit Bacterial and Malarial Parasite Survival in Anopheles gambiae. mSphere 2020; 5:5/2/e00983-19. [PMID: 32295874 PMCID: PMC7160685 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00983-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood feeding is an integral behavior of mosquitoes to acquire nutritional resources needed for reproduction. This requirement also enables mosquitoes to serve as efficient vectors to acquire and potentially transmit a multitude of mosquito-borne diseases, most notably malaria. Recent studies suggest that mosquito immunity is stimulated following a blood meal, independent of infection status. Since blood feeding promotes production of the hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), we hypothesized that 20E plays an important role in priming the immune response for pathogen challenge. Here, we examine the immunological effects of priming Anopheles gambiae with 20E prior to pathogen infection, demonstrating a significant reduction in bacteria and Plasmodium berghei survival in the mosquito host. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis following 20E treatment identifies several known 20E-regulated genes, as well as several immune genes with previously reported function in antipathogen defense. Together, these data demonstrate that 20E influences cellular immune function and antipathogen immunity following mosquito blood feeding, arguing the importance of hormones in the regulation of mosquito innate immune function.IMPORTANCE Blood feeding is required to provide nutrients for mosquito egg production and serves as a mechanism to acquire and transmit pathogens. Shortly after a blood meal is taken, there is a peak in the production of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), a mosquito hormone that initiates physiological changes, including yolk protein production and mating refractoriness. Here, we examine additional roles of 20E in the regulation of mosquito immunity, demonstrating that priming the immune system with 20E increases mosquito resistance to pathogens. We identify differentially expressed genes in response to 20E treatment, including several involved in innate immune function as well as lipid metabolism and transport. Together, these data argue that 20E stimulates mosquito cellular immune function and innate immunity shortly after blood feeding.
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Yoon DS, Park JC, Park HG, Lee JS, Han J. Effects of atrazine on life parameters, oxidative stress, and ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathway in the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 213:105213. [PMID: 31200332 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine is a widely used pesticide which acts as an endocrine disruptor in various organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate adverse effects of atrazine on life parameters, oxidative stress, and ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathway in the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus. In T. japonicus, no mortality was shown in response to atrazine up to 20 mg/L in acute toxicity assessment. In nauplii, retardation in the growth and prolonged molting and metamorphosis resulted under chronic exposure of atrazine at 20 mg/L. In addition, body sizes of T. japonicus nauplii were significantly decreased (P < 0.01 in length and P < 0.001 in width) in response to 20 mg/L of atrazine. Furthermore, atrazine induced oxidative stress by the generation of reactive oxygen species at all concentrations compared to the control in the nauplii. Also, significant increase in glutathione-S transferase activity was observed in adult T. japonicus at low concentration of atrazine. To understand effects of atrazine on ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathway-involved genes (e.g., neverland, CYP307E1, CYP306A1, CYP302A1, CYP3022A1 [CYP315A1], CYP314A1, and CYP18D1) were examined with mRNA expressions of ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP) in response to 20 mg/L atrazine in nauplii and adults. In the nauplii, these genes were significantly downregulated (P < 0.05) in response to atrazine, compared to the control but not in the adult T. japonicus. These results suggest that atrazine can interfere in vivo life parameters by oxidative stress-induced retrogression and ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathway in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deok-Seo Yoon
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Jun Chul Park
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Heum Gi Park
- Department of Marine Resource Development, College of Life Sciences, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, South Korea
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
| | - Jeonghoon Han
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
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15
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Ghosh S, Mandal S, Mandal L. Detecting proliferation of adult hemocytes in Drosophila by BrdU incorporation. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:47. [PMID: 29946570 PMCID: PMC5989151 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14560.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila and mammalian hematopoiesis share several similarities that ranges from phases to the battery of transcription factors and signaling molecules that execute this process. These resounding similarities along with the rich genetic tools available in fruitfly makes it a popular invertebrate model to study blood cell development both during normal and aberrant conditions. The larval system is the most extensively studied to date. Several studies have shown that these hemocytes just like mammalian counterpart proliferate and get routinely regenerated upon infection. However, employing the same protocol it was concluded that blood cell proliferation although abundant in larval stages is absent in adult fruitfly. The current protocol describes the strategies that can be employed to document the hemocyte proliferation in adulthood. The fact that a subset of blood cells tucked away in the hematopoietic hub are not locked in senescence, rather they still harbour the proliferative capacity to tide over challenges was successfully demonstrated by this method. Although we have adopted bacterial infection as a bait to evoke this proliferative capacity of the hemocytes, we envision that it can also efficiently characterize the proliferative responses of hemocytes in tumorigenic conditions as well as scenarios of environmental and metabolic stresses during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saikat Ghosh
- Developmental Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Mohali, Manauli, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Sudip Mandal
- Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Mohali, Manauli, Punjab, 140306, India
| | - Lolitika Mandal
- Developmental Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Mohali, Manauli, Punjab, 140306, India
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16
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Buhler K, Clements J, Winant M, Bolckmans L, Vulsteke V, Callaerts P. Growth control through regulation of insulin-signaling by nutrition-activated steroid hormone in Drosophila. Development 2018; 145:dev.165654. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.165654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Growth and maturation are coordinated processes in all animals. Integration of internal cues, such as signalling pathways, with external cues such as nutritional status is paramount for an orderly progression of development in function of growth. In Drosophila, this involves insulin and steroid signalling, but the underlying mechanisms and their coordination are incompletely understood. We show that bioactive 20-hydroxyecdysone production by the enzyme Shade in the fat body is a nutrient-dependent process. We demonstrate that under fed conditions, Shade plays a role in growth control. We identify the trachea and the insulin-producing cells in the brain as direct targets through which 20-hydroxyecdysone regulates insulin-signaling. The identification of the trachea-dependent regulation of insulin-signaling exposes an important variable that may have been overlooked in other studies focusing on insulin-signaling in Drosophila. Our findings provide a potentially conserved, novel mechanism by which nutrition can modulate steroid hormone bioactivation, reveal an important caveat of a commonly used transgenic tool to study IPC function and yield further insights as to how steroid and insulin signalling are coordinated during development to regulate growth and developmental timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Buhler
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jason Clements
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mattias Winant
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lenz Bolckmans
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Veerle Vulsteke
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Callaerts
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Developmental Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 602, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
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17
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de Lacerda JTJG, e Lacerda RR, Assunção NA, Tashima AK, Juliano MA, dos Santos GA, dos Santos de Souza M, de Luna Batista J, Rossi CE, de Almeida Gadelha CA, Santi-Gadelha T. New insights into lectin from Abelmoschus esculentus seeds as a Kunitz-type inhibitor and its toxic effects on Ceratitis capitata and root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne spp. Process Biochem 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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18
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Kaieda Y, Masuda R, Nishida R, Shimell M, O'Connor MB, Ono H. Glue protein production can be triggered by steroid hormone signaling independent of the developmental program in Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Biol 2017; 430:166-176. [PMID: 28782527 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones regulate life stage transitions, allowing animals to appropriately follow a developmental timeline. During insect development, the steroid hormone ecdysone is synthesized and released in a regulated manner by the prothoracic gland (PG) and then hydroxylated to the active molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), in peripheral tissues. We manipulated ecdysteroid titers, through temporally controlled over-expression of the ecdysteroid-inactivating enzyme, CYP18A1, in the PG using the GeneSwitch-GAL4 system in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We monitored expression of a 20E-inducible glue protein gene, Salivary gland secretion 3 (Sgs3), using a Sgs3:GFP fusion transgene. In wild type larvae, Sgs3-GFP expression is activated at the midpoint of the third larval instar stage in response to the rising endogenous level of 20E. By first knocking down endogenous 20E levels during larval development and then feeding 20E to these larvae at various stages, we found that Sgs3-GFP expression could be triggered at an inappropriate developmental stage after a certain time lag. This stage-precocious activation of Sgs3 required expression of the Broad-complex, similar to normal Sgs3 developmental regulation, and a small level of nutritional input. We suggest that these studies provide evidence for a tissue-autonomic regulatory system for a metamorphic event independent from the primary 20E driven developmental progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Kaieda
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Ryota Masuda
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Ritsuo Nishida
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - MaryJane Shimell
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Michael B O'Connor
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Hajime Ono
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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19
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VenkatRao V, Chaitanya RK, Naresh Kumar D, Bramhaiah M, Dutta-Gupta A. Developmental and hormone-induced changes of mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activities during the last instar larval development of maize stem borer, Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 239:32-39. [PMID: 26709029 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The energy demand for structural remodelling in holometabolous insects is met by cellular mitochondria. Developmental and hormone-induced changes in the mitochondrial respiratory activity during insect metamorphosis are not well documented. The present study investigates activities of enzymes of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) namely, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase or complex I, Succinate: ubiquinone oxidoreductase or complex II, Ubiquinol:ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase or complex III, cytochrome c oxidase or complex IV and F1F0ATPase (ATPase), during Chilo partellus development. Further, the effect of juvenile hormone (JH) analog, methoprene, and brain and corpora-allata-corpora-cardiaca (CC-CA) homogenates that represent neurohormones, on the ETC enzyme activities was monitored. The enzymatic activities increased from penultimate to last larval stage and thereafter declined during pupal development with an exception of ATPase which showed high enzyme activity during last larval and pupal stages compared to the penultimate stage. JH analog, methoprene differentially modulated ETC enzyme activities. It stimulated complex I and IV enzyme activities, but did not alter the activities of complex II, III and ATPase. On the other hand, brain homogenate declined the ATPase activity while the injected CC-CA homogenate stimulated complex I and IV enzyme activities. Cumulatively, the present study is the first to show that mitochondrial ETC enzyme system is under hormone control, particularly of JH and neurohormones during insect development.
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Affiliation(s)
- V VenkatRao
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - R K Chaitanya
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - D Naresh Kumar
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - M Bramhaiah
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - A Dutta-Gupta
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India.
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20
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Yogindran S, Rajam MV. Artificial miRNA-mediated silencing of ecdysone receptor (EcR) affects larval development and oogenesis in Helicoverpa armigera. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 77:21-30. [PMID: 27476930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The insect pests are real threat to farmers as they affect the crop yield to a great extent. The use of chemical pesticides for insect pest control has always been a matter of concern as they pollute the environment and are also harmful for human health. Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) technology helped the farmers to get rid of the insect pests, but experienced a major drawback due to the evolution of insects gaining resistance towards these toxins. Hence, alternative strategies are high on demand to control insect pests. RNA-based gene silencing is emerging as a potential tool to tackle with this problem. In this study, we have shown the use of artificial microRNA (amiRNA) to specifically target the ecdysone receptor (EcR) gene of Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm), which attacks several important crops like cotton, tomato chickpea, pigeon pea, etc and causes huge yield losses. Insect let-7a precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) backbone was used to replace the native miRNA with that of amiRNA. The precursor backbone carrying the 21 nucleotide amiRNA sequence targeting HaEcR was cloned in bacterial L4440 vector for in vitro insect feeding experiments. Larvae fed with Escherichia coli expressing amiRNA-HaEcR showed a reduction in the expression of target gene as well as genes involved in the ecdysone signaling pathway downstream to EcR and exhibited mortality and developmental defects. Stem-loop RT-PCR revealed the presence of amiRNA in the insect larvae after feeding bacteria expressing amiRNA-HaEcR, which was otherwise absent in controls. We also found a significant drop in the reproduction potential (oogenesis) of moths which emerged from treated larvae as compared to control. These results demonstrate the successful use of an insect pre-miRNA backbone to express amiRNA for gene silencing studies in insects. The method is cost effective and can be exploited as an efficient and alternative tool for insect pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Yogindran
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Manchikatla Venkat Rajam
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi 110021, India.
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21
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Marcus SR, Fiumera AC. Atrazine exposure affects longevity, development time and body size in Drosophila melanogaster. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 91-92:18-25. [PMID: 27317622 PMCID: PMC4969214 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine is the one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States and non-target organisms may encounter it in the environment. Atrazine is known to affect male reproduction in both vertebrates and invertebrates but less is known about its effects on other fitness traits. Here we assessed the effects of five different chronic exposure levels on a variety of fitness traits in Drosophila melanogaster. We measured male and female longevity, development time, proportion pupated, proportion emerged, body size, female mating rate, fertility and fecundity. Atrazine exposure decreased the proportion pupated, the proportion emerged and adult survival. Development time was also affected by atrazine and exposed flies pupated and emerged earlier than controls. Although development time was accelerated, body size was actually larger in some of the exposures. Atrazine exposure had no effect on female mating rate and the effects on female fertility and fecundity were only observed in one of the two independent experimental blocks. Many of the traits showed non-monotonic dose response curves, where the intermediate concentrations showed the largest effects. Overall this study shows that atrazine influences a variety of life history traits in the model genetic system, D. melanogaster, and future studies should aim to identify the molecular mechanisms of toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Marcus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Anthony C Fiumera
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
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22
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Valzania L, Ono H, Ignesti M, Cavaliere V, Bernardi F, Gamberi C, Lasko P, Gargiulo G. Drosophila 4EHP is essential for the larval-pupal transition and required in the prothoracic gland for ecdysone biosynthesis. Dev Biol 2015; 410:14-23. [PMID: 26721418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Maternal expression of the translational regulator 4EHP (eIF4E-Homologous Protein) has an established role in generating protein gradients essential for specifying the Drosophila embryonic pattern. We generated a null mutation of 4EHP, which revealed for the first time that it is essential for viability and for completion of development. In fact, 4EHP null larvae, and larvae ubiquitously expressing RNAi targeting 4EHP, are developmentally delayed, fail to grow and eventually die. In addition, we found that expressing RNAi that targets 4EHP specifically in the prothoracic gland disrupted ecdysone biosynthesis, causing a block of the transition from the larval to pupal stages. This phenotype can be rescued by dietary administration of ecdysone. Consistent with this, 4EHP is highly expressed in the prothoracic gland and it is required for wild type expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes. Taken together, these results uncover a novel essential function for 4EHP in regulating ecdysone biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Valzania
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, Bologna, Italy
| | - Hajime Ono
- Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Marilena Ignesti
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valeria Cavaliere
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Bernardi
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Gamberi
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 0B1; Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4B 1R6.
| | - Paul Lasko
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 0B1.
| | - Giuseppe Gargiulo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, Bologna, Italy.
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23
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Niwa YS, Niwa R. Transcriptional regulation of insect steroid hormone biosynthesis and its role in controlling timing of molting and metamorphosis. Dev Growth Differ 2015; 58:94-105. [PMID: 26667894 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The developmental transition from juvenile to adult is often accompanied by many systemic changes in morphology, metabolism, and reproduction. Curiously, both mammalian puberty and insect metamorphosis are triggered by a pulse of steroid hormones, which can harmonize gene expression profiles in the body and thus orchestrate drastic biological changes. However, understanding of how the timing of steroid hormone biosynthesis is regulated at the molecular level is poor. The principal insect steroid hormone, ecdysteroid, is biosynthesized from dietary cholesterol in the specialized endocrine organ called the prothoracic gland. The periodic pulses of ecdysteroid titers determine the timing of molting and metamorphosis. To date, at least nine families of ecdysteroidogenic enzyme genes have been identified. Expression levels of these genes correlate well with ecdysteroid titers, indicating that the transcriptional regulatory network plays a critical role in regulating the ecdysteroid biosynthesis pathway. In this article, we summarize the transcriptional regulation of ecdysteroid biosynthesis. We first describe the development of prothoracic gland cells during Drosophila embryogenesis, and then provide an overview of the transcription factors that act in ecdysteroid biosynthesis and signaling. We also discuss the external signaling pathways that target these transcriptional regulators. Furthermore, we describe conserved and/or diverse aspects of steroid hormone biosynthesis in insect species as well as vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko S Niwa
- Life Science Center, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, 332-0012, Saitama, Japan
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24
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Llorens JV, Metzendorf C, Missirlis F, Lind MI. Mitochondrial iron supply is required for the developmental pulse of ecdysone biosynthesis that initiates metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster. J Biol Inorg Chem 2015; 20:1229-38. [PMID: 26468126 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-015-1302-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of ecdysone, the key hormone that signals the termination of larval growth and the initiation of metamorphosis in insects, is carried out in the prothoracic gland by an array of iron-containing cytochrome P450s, encoded by the halloween genes. Interference, either with iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis in the prothoracic gland or with the ferredoxins that supply electrons for steroidogenesis, causes a block in ecdysone synthesis and developmental arrest in the third instar larval stage. Here we show that mutants in Drosophila mitoferrin (dmfrn), the gene encoding a mitochondrial carrier protein implicated in mitochondrial iron import, fail to grow and initiate metamorphosis under dietary iron depletion or when ferritin function is partially compromised. In mutant dmfrn larvae reared under iron replete conditions, the expression of halloween genes is increased and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), the active form of ecdysone, is synthesized. In contrast, addition of an iron chelator to the diet of mutant dmfrn larvae disrupts 20E synthesis. Dietary addition of 20E has little effect on the growth defects, but enables approximately one-third of the iron-deprived dmfrn larvae to successfully turn into pupae and, in a smaller percentage, into adults. This partial rescue is not observed with dietary supply of ecdysone's precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol, a precursor in the ecdysone biosynthetic pathway. The findings reported here support the notion that a physiological supply of mitochondrial iron for the synthesis of iron-sulfur clusters and heme is required in the prothoracic glands of insect larvae for steroidogenesis. Furthermore, mitochondrial iron is also essential for normal larval growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose V Llorens
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christoph Metzendorf
- Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fanis Missirlis
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Av. IPN 2508, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Maria I Lind
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, Uppsala, Sweden.
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25
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Fresán U, Cuartero S, O'Connor MB, Espinàs ML. The insulator protein CTCF regulates Drosophila steroidogenesis. Biol Open 2015; 4:852-7. [PMID: 25979705 PMCID: PMC4571099 DOI: 10.1242/bio.012344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The steroid hormone ecdysone is a central regulator of insect development. In this report we show that CTCF expression in the prothoracic gland is required for full transcriptional activation of the Halloween genes spookier, shadow and noppera-bo, which encode ecdysone biosynthetic enzymes, and for proper timing of ecdysone-responsive gene expression. Loss of CTCF results in delayed and less synchronized larval development that can only be rescued by feeding larvae with both, the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone and cholesterol. Moreover, CTCF-knockdown in prothoracic gland cells leads to increased lipid accumulation. In conclusion, the insulator protein CTCF is required for Halloween gene expression and cholesterol homeostasis in ecdysone-producing cells controlling steroidogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujué Fresán
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, IBMB-CSIC, and Institute for Research in Biomedicine IRB, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Sergi Cuartero
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, IBMB-CSIC, and Institute for Research in Biomedicine IRB, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Michael B O'Connor
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - M Lluisa Espinàs
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, IBMB-CSIC, and Institute for Research in Biomedicine IRB, Barcelona 08028, Spain Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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26
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Mello TRP, Aleixo AC, Pinheiro DG, Nunes FMF, Bitondi MMG, Hartfelder K, Barchuk AR, Simões ZLP. Developmental regulation of ecdysone receptor (EcR) and EcR-controlled gene expression during pharate-adult development of honeybees (Apis mellifera). Front Genet 2014; 5:445. [PMID: 25566327 PMCID: PMC4273664 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Major developmental transitions in multicellular organisms are driven by steroid hormones. In insects, these, together with juvenile hormone (JH), control development, metamorphosis, reproduction and aging, and are also suggested to play an important role in caste differentiation of social insects. Here, we aimed to determine how EcR transcription and ecdysteroid titers are related during honeybee postembryonic development and what may actually be the role of EcR in caste development of this social insect. In addition, we expected that knocking-down EcR gene expression would give us information on the participation of the respective protein in regulating downstream targets of EcR. We found that in Apis mellifera females, EcR-A is the predominantly expressed variant in postembryonic development, while EcR-B transcript levels are higher in embryos, indicating an early developmental switch in EcR function. During larval and pupal stages, EcR-B expression levels are very low, while EcR-A transcripts are more variable and abundant in workers compared to queens. Strikingly, these transcript levels are opposite to the ecdysteroid titer profile. 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) application experiments revealed that low 20E levels induce EcR expression during development, whereas high ecdysteroid titers seem to be repressive. By means of RNAi-mediated knockdown (KD) of both EcR transcript variants we detected the differential expression of 234 poly-A+ transcripts encoding genes such as CYPs, MRJPs and certain hormone response genes (Kr-h1 and ftz-f1). EcR-KD also promoted the differential expression of 70 miRNAs, including highly conserved ones (e.g., miR-133 and miR-375), as well honeybee-specific ones (e.g., miR-3745 and miR-3761). Our results put in evidence a broad spectrum of EcR-controlled gene expression during postembryonic development of honeybees, revealing new facets of EcR biology in this social insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tathyana R P Mello
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline C Aleixo
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel G Pinheiro
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francis M F Nunes
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Márcia M G Bitondi
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Klaus Hartfelder
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Molecular e de Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Angel R Barchuk
- Laboratório de Biologia Animal Integrativa, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Tecidual e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Zilá L P Simões
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
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27
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Keil KP, Abler LL, Laporta J, Altmann HM, Yang B, Jarrard DF, Hernandez LL, Vezina CM. Androgen receptor DNA methylation regulates the timing and androgen sensitivity of mouse prostate ductal development. Dev Biol 2014; 396:237-45. [PMID: 25446526 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2014] [Revised: 10/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling initiates mouse prostate development by stimulating prostate ductal bud formation and specifying bud patterns. Curiously, however, prostatic bud initiation lags behind the onset of gonadal testosterone synthesis by about three days. This study's objective was to test the hypothesis that DNA methylation controls the timing and scope of prostate ductal development by regulating Ar expression in the urogenital sinus (UGS) from which the prostate derives. We determined that Ar DNA methylation decreases in UGS mesenchyme during prostate bud formation in vivo and that this change correlates with decreased DNA methyltransferase expression in the same cell population during the same time period. To examine the role of DNA methylation in prostate development, fetal UGSs were grown in serum-free medium and 5 alpha dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the DNA methylation inhibitor 5'-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5AzadC) were introduced into the medium at specific times. As a measure of prostate development, in situ hybridization was used to visualize and count Nkx3-1 mRNA positive prostatic buds. We determined that inhibiting DNA methylation when prostatic buds are being specified, accelerates the onset of prostatic bud development, increases bud number, and sensitizes the budding response to androgens. Inhibition of DNA methylation also reduces Ar DNA methylation in UGS explants and increases Ar mRNA and protein in UGS mesenchyme and epithelium. Together, these results support a novel mechanism whereby Ar DNA methylation regulates UGS androgen sensitivity to control the rate and number of prostatic buds formed, thereby establishing a developmental checkpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly P Keil
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lisa L Abler
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jimena Laporta
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Helene M Altmann
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bing Yang
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - David F Jarrard
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA; Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Laura L Hernandez
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Chad M Vezina
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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