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Villalobos Sambucaro MJ, Alzugaray ME, Ronderos JR. Mechanisms controlling haemolymph circulation under resting conditions in the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247801. [PMID: 38989599 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247801] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Chagas disease vectors can ingest several times their own volume in blood with each meal. This ad libitum feeding causes an intense process of diuresis, inducing the insect to eliminate a large quantity of urine and faeces. To ensure diuresis, the speed of circulation of the haemolymph is increased. The Triatominae circulatory system is quite simple, including the dorsal vessel, which pumps haemolymph in an anterograde direction. The return is caused by peristaltic contractions of the anterior midgut. Triatominae insects can spend several weeks without feeding, meaning that most of the time, the insect is in a resting condition. Although the mechanisms controlling the circulation of the haemolymph during post-prandial diuresis have been largely analysed, the mechanisms controlling it during resting conditions are poorly understood. In this study, we analysed several canonical pathways (i.e. L-type VGCC, GPCR, RyR, IP3R) and a novel system represented by the recently characterized Piezo proteins. Our results show that during the resting condition, haemolymph circulation depends on a cross-talk between myogenic activity, inhibitory and stimulatory cellular messengers, and Piezo proteins. This report also unveils for the first time the existence of a putative Piezo protein in Hemiptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET, Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET, Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Zhang X, Niu Y, Gao C, Kong L, Yang Z, Chang L, Kong X, Bao Z, Hu X. Somatostatin Receptor Gene Functions in Growth Regulation in Bivalve Scallop and Clam. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4813. [PMID: 38732036 PMCID: PMC11083992 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bivalves hold an important role in marine aquaculture and the identification of growth-related genes in bivalves could contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism governing their growth, which may benefit high-yielding bivalve breeding. Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) is a conserved negative regulator of growth in vertebrates. Although SSTR genes have been identified in invertebrates, their involvement in growth regulation remains unclear. Here, we identified seven SSTRs (PySSTRs) in the Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, which is an economically important bivalve cultured in East Asia. Among the three PySSTRs (PySSTR-1, -2, and -3) expressed in adult tissues, PySSTR-1 showed significantly lower expression in fast-growing scallops than in slow-growing scallops. Then, the function of this gene in growth regulation was evaluated in dwarf surf clams (Mulinia lateralis), a potential model bivalve cultured in the lab, via RNA interference (RNAi) through feeding the clams Escherichia coli containing plasmids expressing double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) targeting MlSSTR-1. Suppressing the expression of MlSSTR-1, the homolog of PySSTR-1 in M. lateralis, resulted in a significant increase in shell length, shell width, shell height, soft tissue weight, and muscle weight by 20%, 22%, 20%, 79%, and 92%, respectively. A transcriptome analysis indicated that the up-regulated genes after MlSSTR-1 expression inhibition were significantly enriched in the fat digestion and absorption pathway and the insulin pathway. In summary, we systemically identified the SSTR genes in P. yessoensis and revealed the growth-inhibitory role of SSTR-1 in bivalves. This study indicates the conserved function of somatostatin signaling in growth regulation, and ingesting dsRNA-expressing bacteria is a useful way to verify gene function in bivalves. SSTR-1 is a candidate target for gene editing in bivalves to promote growth and could be used in the breeding of fast-growing bivalves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangchao Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Yuli Niu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Can Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Lingling Kong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Zujing Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Lirong Chang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Xiangfu Kong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
| | - Zhenmin Bao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Xiaoli Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; (X.Z.); (Y.N.); (C.G.); (L.K.); (Z.Y.); (L.C.); (X.K.); (Z.B.)
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
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José Villalobos Sambucaro M, Pacheco C, Rafael Ronderos J. Allatotropic peptides modulate muscle contraction of the female reproductive system in Rhodnius prolixus (STÄL). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 343:114358. [PMID: 37567349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) acts as a myoregulator at the level of the dorsal vessel (DV) and midgut (MG) in triatominae insects. Previous analyses of the expression of the AT receptor in Rhodnius prolixus showed that AT is expressed in the DV and MG, but also in the reproductive system in females. To further study the activity of AT on female reproductive organs we analyzed the response by adult females in different physiological conditions, including unfed (virgin and mated), and fed mated females (gravid), to doses ranging between 10-14 and 10-6M. Myoregulatory activity was evaluated in vivo, by recording independently the frequency of contractions of each organ after treatment. The results show that the effect of AT varies depending on the organs and on the physiological state of the female. Whilst unfed virgin females did not show response to the peptide for neither of the applied doses, the ovaries showed a differential response, presenting the highest frequency of contractions in gravid individuals. An increase in the frequency of contractions of the oviducts was only observed in mated females. Uterus and spermathecae responded in both gravid and mated females, with maximum activity in the latter. In the bursa, responses were only detected in gravid females. The differential response of the organs seems to be associated to particular moments along the reproductive cycle, such as with the spermathecae that reacted to AT in both unfed mated and gravid females, when the movement of spermatozoids is physiologically crucial. Testes and accessory glands of the male, expressed the mRNA of AT precursor, suggesting that the male would modulate the contractile behavior of the female reproductive system after copula. The ovaries also expressed AT mRNA suggesting the existence of a paracrine/autocrine system modulating muscle contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Villalobos Sambucaro
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Concejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Cristian Pacheco
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Post-doctoral fellow (FONCyT), Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo - Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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Reynoso-Ducoing OA, González-Rete B, Díaz E, Candelas-Otero FN, López-Aviña JA, Cabrera-Bravo M, Bucio-Torres MI, Torres-Gutiérrez E, Salazar-Schettino PM. Expression of Proteins, Glycoproteins, and Transcripts in the Guts of Fasting, Fed, and Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected Triatomines: A Systematic Review. Pathogens 2023; 12:1124. [PMID: 37764932 PMCID: PMC10534304 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the hemoflagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The main transmission mechanism for the parasite in endemic areas is contact with the feces of an infected triatomine bug. Part of the life cycle of T. cruzi occurs in the digestive tract of triatomines, where vector and parasite engage in a close interaction at a proteomic-molecular level. This interaction triggers replication and differentiation processes in the parasite that can affect its infectivity for the vertebrate host. With the aim of compiling and analyzing information from indexed publications on transcripts, proteins, and glycoproteins in the guts of fasting, fed, and T. cruzi-infected triatomines in the period 2000-2022, a systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Fifty-five original research articles retrieved from PubMed and ScienceDirect were selected; forty-four papers reported 1-26,946 transcripts, and twenty-one studies described 1-2603 peptides/proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Elia Torres-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México City 04510, Mexico; (O.A.R.-D.); (B.G.-R.); (E.D.); (F.N.C.-O.); (J.A.L.-A.); (M.C.-B.); (M.I.B.-T.)
| | - Paz María Salazar-Schettino
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México City 04510, Mexico; (O.A.R.-D.); (B.G.-R.); (E.D.); (F.N.C.-O.); (J.A.L.-A.); (M.C.-B.); (M.I.B.-T.)
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Nevoa JC, Latorre-Estivalis JM, Pais FSM, Marliére NP, Fernandes GDR, Lorenzo MG, Guarneri AA. Global characterization of gene expression in the brain of starved immature Rhodnius prolixus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282490. [PMID: 36867641 PMCID: PMC9983911 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhodnius prolixus is a vector of Chagas disease and has become a model organism to study physiology, behavior, and pathogen interaction. The publication of its genome allowed initiating a process of comparative characterization of the gene expression profiles of diverse organs exposed to varying conditions. Brain processes control the expression of behavior and, as such, mediate immediate adjustment to a changing environment, allowing organisms to maximize their chances to survive and reproduce. The expression of fundamental behavioral processes like feeding requires fine control in triatomines because they obtain their blood meals from potential predators. Therefore, the characterization of gene expression profiles of key components modulating behavior in brain processes, like those of neuropeptide precursors and their receptors, seems fundamental. Here we study global gene expression profiles in the brain of starved R. prolixus fifth instar nymphs by means of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). RESULTS The expression of neuromodulatory genes such as those of precursors of neuropeptides, neurohormones, and their receptors; as well as the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and processing of neuropeptides and biogenic amines were fully characterized. Other important gene targets such as neurotransmitter receptors, nuclear receptors, clock genes, sensory receptors, and takeouts genes were identified and their gene expression analyzed. CONCLUSION We propose that the set of neuromodulatory-related genes highly expressed in the brain of starved R. prolixus nymphs deserves functional characterization to allow the subsequent development of tools targeting them for bug control. As the brain is a complex structure that presents functionally specialized areas, future studies should focus on characterizing gene expression profiles in target areas, e.g. mushroom bodies, to complement our current knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Coraiola Nevoa
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou – FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jose Manuel Latorre-Estivalis
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Newmar Pinto Marliére
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou – FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Gustavo Lorenzo
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou – FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Aparecida Guarneri
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou – FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Crosstalk between Nutrition, Insulin, Juvenile Hormone, and Ecdysteroid Signaling in the Classical Insect Model, Rhodnius prolixus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010007. [PMID: 36613451 PMCID: PMC9819625 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The rigorous balance of endocrine signals that control insect reproductive physiology is crucial for the success of egg production. Rhodnius prolixus, a blood-feeding insect and main vector of Chagas disease, has been used over the last century as a model to unravel aspects of insect metabolism and physiology. Our recent work has shown that nutrition, insulin signaling, and two main types of insect lipophilic hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, are essential for successful reproduction in R. prolixus; however, the interplay behind these endocrine signals has not been established. We used a combination of hormone treatments, gene expression analyses, hormone measurements, and ex vivo experiments using the corpus allatum or the ovary, to investigate how the interaction of these endocrine signals might define the hormone environment for egg production. The results show that after a blood meal, circulating JH levels increase, a process mainly driven through insulin and allatoregulatory neuropeptides. In turn, JH feeds back to provide some control over its own biosynthesis by regulating the expression of critical biosynthetic enzymes in the corpus allatum. Interestingly, insulin also stimulates the synthesis and release of ecdysteroids from the ovary. This study highlights the complex network of endocrine signals that, together, coordinate a successful reproductive cycle.
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Hull JJ, Gross RJ, Brent CS, Christie AE. Filling in the gaps: A reevaluation of the Lygus hesperus peptidome using an expanded de novo assembled transcriptome and molecular cloning. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 303:113708. [PMID: 33388363 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Peptides are the largest and most diverse class of molecules modulating physiology and behavior. Previously, we predicted a peptidome for the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, using transcriptomic data produced from whole individuals. A potential limitation of that analysis was the masking of underrepresented genes, in particular tissue-specific transcripts. Here, we reassessed the L. hesperus peptidome using a more comprehensive dataset comprised of the previous transcriptomic data as well as tissue-specific reads produced from heads and accessory glands. This augmented assembly significantly improves coverage depth providing confirmatory transcripts for essentially all of the previously identified families and new transcripts encoding a number of new peptide precursors corresponding to 14 peptide families. Several families not targeted in our initial study were identified in the expanded assembly, including agatoxin-like peptide, CNMamide, neuropeptide-like precursor 1, and periviscerokinin. To increase confidence in the in silico data, open reading frames of a subset of the newly identified transcripts were amplified using RT-PCR and sequence validated. Further PCR-based profiling of the putative L. hesperus agatoxin-like peptide precursor revealed evidence of alternative splicing with near ubiquitous expression across L. hesperus development, suggesting the peptide serves functional roles beyond that of a toxin. The peptides predicted here, in combination with those identified in our earlier study, expand the L. hesperus peptidome to 42 family members and provide an improved platform for initiating molecular and physiological investigations into peptidergic functionality in this non-model agricultural pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Joe Hull
- Pest Management and Biocontrol Research Unit, US Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Services, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA.
| | - Roni J Gross
- Pest Management and Biocontrol Research Unit, US Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Services, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Colin S Brent
- Pest Management and Biocontrol Research Unit, US Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Services, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Andrew E Christie
- Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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Zhang Y, Yañez Guerra LA, Egertová M, Zampronio CG, Jones AM, Elphick MR. Molecular and functional characterization of somatostatin-type signalling in a deuterostome invertebrate. Open Biol 2020; 10:200172. [PMID: 32898470 PMCID: PMC7536072 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin (SS) and allatostatin-C (ASTC) are structurally and evolutionarily related neuropeptides that act as inhibitory regulators of physiological processes in mammals and insects, respectively. Here, we report the first molecular and functional characterization of SS/ASTC-type signalling in a deuterostome invertebrate—the starfish Asterias rubens (phylum Echinodermata). Two SS/ASTC-type precursors were identified in A. rubens (ArSSP1 and ArSSP2) and the structures of neuropeptides derived from these proteins (ArSS1 and ArSS2) were analysed using mass spectrometry. Pharmacological characterization of three cloned A. rubens SS/ASTC-type receptors (ArSSR1–3) revealed that ArSS2, but not ArSS1, acts as a ligand for all three receptors. Analysis of ArSS2 expression in A. rubens using mRNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed stained cells/fibres in the central nervous system, the digestive system (e.g. cardiac stomach) and the body wall and its appendages (e.g. tube feet). Furthermore, in vitro pharmacological tests revealed that ArSS2 causes dose-dependent relaxation of tube foot and cardiac stomach preparations, while injection of ArSS2 in vivo causes partial eversion of the cardiac stomach. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular evolution of SS/ASTC-type signalling in the animal kingdom and reveal an ancient role of SS-type neuropeptides as inhibitory regulators of muscle contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Zhang
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | | | - Michaela Egertová
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Cleidiane G Zampronio
- School of Life Sciences and Proteomics Research Technology Platform, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Alexandra M Jones
- School of Life Sciences and Proteomics Research Technology Platform, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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Bendena WG, Hui JHL, Chin-Sang I, Tobe SS. Neuropeptide and microRNA regulators of juvenile hormone production. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 295:113507. [PMID: 32413346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The sesquiterpenoid juvenile hormone(s) (JHs) of insects are the primary regulators of growth, metamorphosis, and reproduction in most insect species. As a consequence, it is essential that JH production be precisely regulated so that it is present only during appropriate periods necessary for the control of these processes. The presence of JH at inappropriate times results in disruption to metamorphosis and development and, in some cases, to disturbances in female reproduction. Neuropeptides regulate the timing and production of JH by the corpora allata. Allatostatin and allatotropin were the names coined for neuropeptides that serve as inhibitors or stimulators of JH biosynthesis, respectively. Three different allatostatin neuropeptide families are capable of inhibiting juvenile hormone but only one family is utilized for that purpose dependent on the insect studied. The function of allatotropin also varies in different insects. These neuropeptides are pleiotropic in function acting on diverse physiological processes in different insects such as muscle contraction, sleep and neuromodulation. Genome projects and expression studies have assigned individual neuropeptide families to their respective receptors. An understanding of the localization of these receptors is providing clues as to how numerous peptide families might be integrated in regulating physiological functions. In recent years microRNAs have been identified that down-regulate enzymes and transcription factors that are involved in the biosynthesis and action of juvenile hormone.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Bendena
- Department of Biology and Centre for Neuroscience, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Ian Chin-Sang
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L3N6, Canada
| | - Stephen S Tobe
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Ramsey-Wright Bldg., 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
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Hillyer JF, Pass G. The Insect Circulatory System: Structure, Function, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 65:121-143. [PMID: 31585504 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the insect circulatory system is involved in a multitude of vital physiological processes, it has gone grossly understudied. This review highlights this critical physiological system by detailing the structure and function of the circulatory organs, including the dorsal heart and the accessory pulsatile organs that supply hemolymph to the appendages. It also emphasizes how the circulatory system develops and ages and how, by means of reflex bleeding and functional integration with the immune system, it supports mechanisms for defense against predators and microbial invaders, respectively. Beyond that, this review details evolutionary trends and novelties associated with this system, as well as the ways in which this system also plays critical roles in thermoregulation and tracheal ventilation in high-performance fliers. Finally, this review highlights how novel discoveries could be harnessed for the control of vector-borne diseases and for translational medicine, and it details principal knowledge gaps that necessitate further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julián F Hillyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA;
| | - Günther Pass
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
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11
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Alzugaray ME, Gavazzi MV, Ronderos JR. Calcium signalling in early divergence of Metazoa: mechanisms involved in the control of muscle-like cell contraction in Hydra plagiodesmica. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Our laboratory has previously examined the effect of neuropeptides on the activity of the hypostome of the hydra Hydra plagiodesmica Dioni, 1968 (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa). These results showed that the hypostome, a structure extruded during feeding, responds to myoregulatory peptides and that this mechanism might be regulated by changes in the cytosolic levels of calcium (Ca2+). We analyse now the ways in which Ca2+ modulates hypostome activity during feeding. The use of calcium chelators confirms that Ca2+ is relevant in inducing hypostome extrusion. The assay of compounds that modulate the activity of Ca2+ channels in the endoplasmic reticulum suggests that, beyond the extracellular influx of calcium, intracellular sources of the ion are involved and might include both ryanodine receptors (RyR) and the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). Bioinformatic searches based on sequences of RyR and IP3R of humans (Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758) show that IP3Rs are present in all groups analysed, including Fungi and Choanoflagellata. Although H. plagiodesmica responds to caffeine and ryanodine, which are known to modulate RyRs, this family of receptors seems not to be predicted in Cnidaria, suggesting that this phylum either lacks these kinds of channels or that they possess a different structure compared with those possessed by other Metazoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM–UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina
| | - María Victoria Gavazzi
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM–UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM–UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
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Hillyer JF. Insect heart rhythmicity is modulated by evolutionarily conserved neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 29:41-48. [PMID: 30551824 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Insects utilize an open circulatory system to transport nutrients, waste, hormones and immune factors throughout the hemocoel. The primary organ that drives hemolymph circulation is the dorsal vessel, which is a muscular tube that traverses the length of the body and is divided into an aorta in the head and thorax, and a heart in the abdomen. The dorsal vessel is myogenic, but its rhythmicity is modulated by neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. This review summarizes how neuropeptides such as crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), FMRFamide-like peptides, proctolin, allatotropin and allatostatin modulate the heart contraction rate and the directionality of heart contractions. Likewise, it discusses how neurotransmitters such as serotonin, octopamine, glutamate and nitric oxide influence the heart rate, and how transcriptomic and proteomic approaches are advancing our understanding of insect circulatory physiology. Finally, this review argues that the immune system may modulate heart rhythmicity, and discusses how the myotropic activity of cardioactive factors extends to the accessory pulsatile organs, such as the auxiliary hearts of the antennae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julián F Hillyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
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13
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Dickinson PS, Armstrong MK, Dickinson ES, Fernandez R, Miller A, Pong S, Powers BW, Pupo-Wiss A, Stanhope ME, Walsh PJ, Wiwatpanit T, Christie AE. Three members of a peptide family are differentially distributed and elicit differential state-dependent responses in a pattern generator-effector system. J Neurophysiol 2018; 119:1767-1781. [PMID: 29384453 PMCID: PMC6008092 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00850.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
C-type allatostatins (AST-Cs) are pleiotropic neuropeptides that are broadly conserved within arthropods; the presence of three AST-C isoforms, encoded by paralog genes, is common. However, these peptides are hypothesized to act through a single receptor, thereby exerting similar bioactivities within each species. We investigated this hypothesis in the American lobster, Homarus americanus, mapping the distributions of AST-C isoforms within relevant regions of the nervous system and digestive tract, and comparing their modulatory influences on the cardiac neuromuscular system. Immunohistochemistry showed that in the pericardial organ, a neuroendocrine release site, AST-C I and/or III and AST-C II are contained within distinct populations of release terminals. Moreover, AST-C I/III-like immunoreactivity was seen in midgut epithelial endocrine cells and the cardiac ganglion (CG), whereas AST-C II-like immunoreactivity was not seen in these tissues. These data suggest that AST-C I and/or III can modulate the CG both locally and hormonally; AST-C II likely acts on the CG solely as a hormonal modulator. Physiological studies demonstrated that all three AST-C isoforms can exert differential effects, including both increases and decreases, on contraction amplitude and frequency when perfused through the heart. However, in contrast to many state-dependent modulatory changes, the changes in contraction amplitude and frequency elicited by the AST-Cs were not functions of the baseline parameters. The responses to AST-C I and III, neither of which is COOH-terminally amidated, are more similar to one another than they are to the responses elicited by AST-C II, which is COOH-terminally amidated. These results suggest that the three AST-C isoforms are differentially distributed in the lobster nervous system/midgut and can elicit distinct behaviors from the cardiac neuromuscular system, with particular structural features, e.g., COOH-terminal amidation, likely important in determining the effects of the peptides. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Multiple isoforms of many peptides exert similar effects on neural circuits. In this study we show that each of the three isoforms of C-type allatostatin (AST-C) can exert differential effects, including both increases and decreases in contraction amplitude and frequency, on the lobster cardiac neuromuscular system. The distribution of effects elicited by the nonamidated isoforms AST-C I and III are more similar to one another than to the effects of the amidated AST-C II.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Brian W Powers
- Department of Biology, Bowdoin College , Brunswick, Maine
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew E Christie
- Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa , Honolulu, Hawaii
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Alzugaray ME, Ronderos JR. Allatoregulatory-like systems and changes in cytosolic Ca 2+ modulate feeding behavior in Hydra. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 258:70-78. [PMID: 28733226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Allatotropin (AT) and allatostatin-C (AST-C) are neuropeptides originally characterized by their ability to modulate the secretion of juvenile hormones in insects. Beyond the allatoregulatory function, these neuropeptides are pleiotropic acting as myoregulators not only in insects, but also in other groups of invertebrates. We have previously proposed the existence of AT and AST-C like systems in Hydra sp., a member of the phylum Cnidaria, which is a basal group of Metazoa, sharing a common ancestor with Bilateria. In the present study we analyze the regulatory effects of both peptides on the activity of the hypostome during feeding in Hydra sp. Furthermore, the importance of changes in the cytosolic Ca2+ levels involved in the response of the hypostome were analyzed. Physiological assays showed that while the presence of food or treatment with AT stimulates the extrusion of the hypostome, AST-C has an inhibitory effect on the behavior induced by both, food and AT. These facts suggest that both systems participate in the regulatory mechanisms associated with feeding and, as in insects, AST-C and AT may exert opposite effects. The use of thapsigargin (TG) and nifedipine, two compounds that modify the levels of cytosolic Ca2+, showed that changes in the levels of this ion are involved in the regulation of the activity of the hypostome. Indeed, these results suggest that the two basic mechanisms operating to increase the cytosolic levels of Ca2+ (i.e. the influx from the extracellular space and the release from endoplasmic reticulum) are relevant for the extrusion of the hypostome. Like in insects, the treatment with TG counteracted the effect of AST-C, suggesting that this peptide acts by reducing cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Furthermore, nifedipine prevented the myostimulatory effect of AT, showing that the effect of this peptide depends on the influx of Ca2+ throughout voltage-gated calcium channels. Altogether, these results suggest that the Allatotropin/Orexin and Allatostatin/Somatostatin regulatory systems could represent an ancestral mechanisms regulating hypostome activity and feeding behavior in Cnidaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina.
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata FCNyM - UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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15
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Alzugaray ME, Hernández-Martínez S, Ronderos JR. Somatostatin signaling system as an ancestral mechanism: Myoregulatory activity of an Allatostatin-C peptide in Hydra. Peptides 2016; 82:67-75. [PMID: 27288244 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The coordination of physiological processes requires precise communication between cells. Cellular interactions allow cells to be functionally related, facilitating the maintaining of homeostasis. Neuropeptides functioning as intercellular signals are widely distributed in Metazoa. It is assumed that neuropeptides were the first intercellular transmitters, appearing early during the evolution. In Cnidarians, neuropeptides are mainly involved in neurotransmission, acting directly or indirectly on epithelial muscle cells, and thereby controlling coordinated movements. Allatostatins are a group of chemically unrelated neuropeptides that were originally characterized based on their ability to inhibit juvenil hormone synthesis in insects. Allatostatin-C has pleiotropic functions, acting as myoregulator in several insects. In these studies, we analyzed the myoregulatory effect of Aedes aegypti Allatostatin-C in Hydra sp., a member of the phylum Cnidaria. Allatostatin-C peptide conjugated with Qdots revealed specifically distributed cell populations that respond to the peptide in different regions of hydroids. In vivo physiological assays using Allatostatin-C showed that the peptide induced changes in shape and length in tentacles, peduncle and gastrovascular cavity. The observed changes were dose and time dependent suggesting the physiological nature of the response. Furthermore, at highest doses, Allatostatin-C induced peristaltic movements of the gastrovascular cavity resembling those that occur during feeding. In silico search of putative Allatostatin-C receptors in Cnidaria showed that genomes predict the existence of proteins of the somatostatin/Allatostatin-C receptors family. Altogether, these results suggest that Allatostatin-C has myoregulatory activity in Hydra sp, playing a role in the control of coordinated movements during feeding, indicating that Allatostatin-C/Somatostatin based signaling might be an ancestral mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Alzugaray
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina
| | - Salvador Hernández-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas - Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CISEI-INSP), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Jorge Rafael Ronderos
- Cátedra Histología y Embriología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
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