cAMP-stimulated termination of vitellogenesis in Hyalophora cecropia: formation of a diffusion barrier and the loss of patency

Prostaglandin E2 mediates chorion formation of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, at late oogenesis

Chorion-i.e., the eggshell-is formed during the late stage of oogenesis by follicular epithelium in the ovary. Although the endocrine signal(s) driving choriogenesis remain unclear in mosquitoes, this process in other insects has been suspected to involve the mediation of prostaglandins (PGs). This study tested the role of PG in the choriogenesis of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and its influence on controlling the expressions of genes associated with chorion formation by a transcriptome analysis. An immunofluorescence assay showed that PGE2 is localised in follicular epithelium. With the treatment of aspirin, an inhibitor of PG biosynthesis, at mid oogenesis, the PGE2 signal disappeared in the follicular epithelium led to significantly inhibited chorion formation along with a malformed eggshell. Ovary transcriptomes were assessed by RNASeq at the mid and late ovarian developmental stages. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exhibiting more than twofold changes in expression levels included 297 genes at mid stage and 500 genes at late stage. These DEGs at these two developmental stages commonly included genes associated with egg and chorion proteins of Ae. albopictus. Most chorion-associated genes were clustered in the 168 Mb region on a chromosome and exhibited significantly induced expressions at both ovarian developmental stages. The inhibition of PG biosynthesis significantly suppressed the expression of the chorion-associated genes while the addition of PGE2 rescued the gene expressions and led to recovery of choriogenesis. These results suggest that PGE2 mediates the choriogenesis of Ae. albopictus.

Identification of G protein-coupled receptors required for vitellogenesis and egg development in an insect with panoistic ovary

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of integral transmembrane proteins regulate a variety of physiological processes in insects. Juvenile hormone (JH) is known to stimulate Vitellogenin (Vg) synthesis in the fat body, secretion into the hemolymph and uptake by developing oocytes. However, the role of GPCRs in JH-dependent insect vitellogenesis and oocyte maturation remains elusive. In the present study, we performed transcriptomic analysis and RNA interference (RNAi) screening in vitellogenic females of the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Of 22 GPCRs identified in ovarian transcriptome, LGR4, OR-A1, OR-A2, Mthl1, Mthl5 and Smo were most abundant in the ovary. By comparison, mAChR-C expressed at higher levels in the fat body, whereas Oct/TyrR, OARβ, AdoR and ADGRA3 were at higher expression levels in the brain. Our RNAi screening demonstrated that knockdown of six GPCRs resulted in defective phenotypes of Vg accumulation in developing oocytes, accompanied by blocked ovarian development and impaired oocyte maturation. While LGR4 and Oct/TyrR appeared to control Vg synthesis in the fat body, OR-A1, OR-A2, mAChR-C and CirlL regulated Vg transportation and uptake. The findings provide fundamental evidence for deciphering the regulatory mechanisms of GPCRs in JH-stimulated insect reproduction.

Protein kinase C mediates juvenile hormone-dependent phosphorylation of Na+/K+-ATPase to induce ovarian follicular patency for yolk protein uptake

In oviparous animals, vitellogenesis is prerequisite to egg production and embryonic growth after oviposition. For successful insect vitellogenesis and oogenesis, vitellogenin (Vg) synthesized in the fat body (homologue to vertebrate liver and adipose tissue) must pass through the intercellular channels, a condition known as patency in the follicular epithelium, to reach the surface of oocytes. This process is controlled by juvenile hormone (JH) in many insect species, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Previous work has suggested the possible involvement of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase in patency initiation, but again, the regulatory cascade of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase for patency initiation has been lacking. Using the migratory locust Locusta migratoria as a model system, we report here that RNAi-mediated knockdown of gene coding for Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, inhibition of its phosphorylation, or suppression of its activity causes loss of patency, resulting in blocked Vg uptake, arrested oocyte maturation, and impaired ovarian growth. JH triggers G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), phospholipase C (PLC), inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), and protein kinase C (PKC) to phosphorylate Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase α-subunit at amino acid residue Ser⁸, consequently activating Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase for the induction of patency in vitellogenic follicular epithelium. Our results thus point to a previously unidentified mechanism by which JH induces the phosphorylation and activation of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase via a signaling cascade of GPCR, RTK, PLC, IP3R, and PKC. The findings advance our understanding of JH regulation in insect vitellogenesis and oogenesis.

Identification of G protein-coupled receptors required for vitellogenin uptake into the oocytes of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

Previous studies suggested that a membrane receptor might be involved in mediating vitellogenin (Vg) uptake and juvenile hormone (JH)-regulated remodeling of follicular epithelium (also called 'patency'). G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family is one of the largest membrane receptor protein families and controls many key physiological processes. To investigate the role of GPCRs in insect reproduction and juvenile hormone-regulated Vg uptake, we performed a comprehensive RNA interference (RNAi) screen targeting GPCRs in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Out of 112 GPCRs tested, knockdown of 41 GPCRs resulted in a reduction in fecundity. Interestingly, RNAi against two GPCRs (a Rhodopsin-like receptor and a Dopamine D2-like receptor) led to a significant reduction in Vg accumulation in developing oocytes. Functional assays of these two GPCRs showed that JH triggers a dose-dependent inhibition of intracellular cAMP levels in HEK293 cells expressing Tribolium Dopamine D2-like receptor. These data suggest that Dopamine D2-like receptor plays crucial roles in regulating Vg uptake and is a promising candidate membrane receptor mediating JH regulation of patency in the red flour beetle.

Insect water-specific aquaporins in developing ovarian follicles of the silk moth Bombyx mori: role in hydration during egg maturation

Egg formation in terrestrial insects is an absorptive process, accommodated not only by packing proteins and lipids into yolk but also by filling chorions with water. An osmotic swelling of ovarian follicles takes place during oocyte maturation. This study investigated the role of the aquaporin (AQP) water channel in the osmotic uptake of water during oogenesis in the silk moth Bombyx mori Linnaeus, 1758. Using the antibodies that specifically recognize previously characterized AQPs, two water-specific subtypes-AQP-Bom1 and AQP-Bom3-belonging to the Drosophila integral protein (DRIP) and Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein (PRIP) subfamilies of the insect AQP clade, respectively, were identified in the developing ovaries of B. mori. During oocyte growth, Bombyx PRIP was distributed at the oocyte plasma membrane, where it likely plays a role in water uptake and oocyte swelling, and may be responsible for oocyte hydration during fluid absorption by ovarian follicles. During the transition from vitellogenesis to choriogenesis during oocyte maturation, Bombyx DRIP expression became abundant in peripheral yolk granules underlying the oocyte plasma membrane. The restricted DRIP localization was not observed in non-diapause-destined follicles, where DRIP was evenly distributed in medullary yolk granules. There was no difference in PRIP distribution between diapause- and non-diapause-destined follicles. The diapause-destined oocytes encase DRIP protein in the peripheral yolk granules, where DRIP might be inert. This would be reflected in the metabolic arrest associated with diapause after fertilization and egg oviposition.

Egg formation in lepidoptera

Reproductive biology in the Twentieth Century produced comprehensive descriptions of the mechanisms of egg formation in most of the major orders of insects. While many general principles of ovarian development and physiology emerged, every order turned out to have a set of its own special motifs. Discovery of the lepidopteran motifs is summarized in this essay. The emphasis is on developmental mechanisms, beginning with the early growth and differentiation of female germ cells and ending, after many turns in morphogenesis, physiology and biosynthesis, with eggs that are filled with yolk and encased in chorions. Examples of uniquely lepidopteran traits include the cellular composition of ovarian follicles, the number of tubular ovarioles in which they mature, the functions of cell-to-cell junctional complexes in their maturation, their use of glycosaminoglycans to maintain intercellular patency during vitellogenesis, the role of proton and calcium pumps in their ion physiology, a separate postvitellogenic period of water and inorganic ion uptake, and the fine structure and protein composition of their chorions. Discovery of this combination of idiosyncracies was based on advances in the general concepts and techniques of cell and molecular biology and on insights borrowed from studies on other insects. The lepidopteran ovary in turn has contributed much to the understanding of egg formation in insects generally.

Crosstalk of tight junction components with signaling pathways

Tight junctions (TJs) regulate the passage of ions and molecules through the paracellular pathway in epithelial and endothelial cells. TJs are highly dynamic structures whose degree of sealing varies according to external stimuli, physiological and pathological conditions. In this review we analyze how the crosstalk of protein kinase C, protein kinase A, myosin light chain kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinases, phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Rho signaling pathways is involved in TJ regulation triggered by diverse stimuli. We also report how the phosphorylation of the main TJ components, claudins, occludin and ZO proteins, impacts epithelial and endothelial cell function.

Prostaglandin signaling and ovarian follicle development in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori

Previous work on in vitro culturing of silkmoth (Bombyx mori) ovarian follicles has shown that starting from middle vitellogenesis, follicles develop according to an endogenous developmental program that does not require the presence of extra-ovarian factors. In this paper, we are reporting on our investigation for a possible involvement of autocrine/paracrine signaling by prostaglandins in the control of silkmoth ovarian follicle development. Using an initial rapid test that evaluates the formation of a protective eggshell around the oocyte, we are showing that aspirin and indomethacin, potent inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis, block the transition of cultured vitellogenic follicles into choriogenesis. More detailed studies involving analyses of temporal expression patterns of genes known to be expressed in follicular epithelium cells at specific stages of ovarian development revealed that inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis arrests stages of follicle development from middle vitellogenesis to late choriogenesis. The arrest could be reversed by the addition of exogenous prostaglandins or cAMP into the culture media leading to the conclusion that the production of prostaglandins triggers cAMP-mediated intracellular signaling that allows the developmental progression of the follicles. Finally, because neither prostaglandins nor cAMP is capable of rescuing a developmental block effected at mid-vitellogenesis by the ecdysone agonist tebufenozide, we are proposing that prostaglandins have a role in the maintenance of normal physiological homeostasis in the ovarian follicles rather than a more specific role in developmental decision-making at distinct stages of follicle development.

Ion physiology of vitellogenic follicles

The ion physiology of vitellogenic follicles from a lepidopteran (Hyalophora cecropia) and a hemipteran (Rhodnius prolixus) are compared. Similarities that can be expected to occur in vitellogenic follicles of many other insects include: (1) gap junctions, which unite the cells of a follicle into an integrated electrical system, (2) transmembrane K(+) and H(+) gradients that account for over 60% of follicular membrane potentials, (3) absence of a Cl(-) potential, (but the opening of channels to this anion when vitellogenesis terminates in H. cecropia), (4) an electrogenic proton pump that supplements follicular membrane potentials, (5) Ca(2+) action potentials evoked by injecting depolarizing currents into oocytes, and (6) the use of osmotic pressure to control epithelial patency. Differences include: a Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase that accounts for about 20% of the follicular resting potential in R. prolixus but is absent from H. cecropia, and an intrafollicular Ca(2+) current that moves from oocyte to nurse cells through cytoplasmic bridges in H. cecropia. Evidence is also summarized for two promising mechanisms that require further substantiation: (1) transmission via gap junctions of a follicle cell product that promotes endocytosis in the oocyte; and (2) transport of the proton pump back and forth between cell surface and endosomes as the membrane that carries it recycles through successive rounds of vitellogenin uptake.

Cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein phosphorylation in vitellogenic follicles of Hyalophora cecropia

(1) In homogenates of vitellogenic follicles from Hyalophora cecropia, cyclic nucleotides promoted the transfer of label from [gamma32P]-ATP to at least four polypeptides. PKI (6-20) amide, an inhibitor of PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase), prevented all four reactions. Quantitative tests using kemptide as a substrate indicated that 80% of the total follicular PKA activity was localized in the follicle cells; labeling at 45, 32, and 27 kDa was particle-associated and also restricted to the follicle cells, while a 58 kDa substrate was labeled only in homogenates of the oocyte. (2) When intact follicles were incubated in [32P]-phosphate and okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, the 32 kDa substrate again exhibited cAMP-dependent labeling. There was thus a physiological relationship between PKA activation and 32 kDa protein phosphorylation, while exposure of at least two of the other three substrates to appropriate kinases required homogenization. The latter was illustrated by phosphorylation of the 42 kDa small subunit of vitellogenin, which occurred only when homogenization mixed the proteins of the yolk bodies with cytoplasmic kinases. (3) PKA activation is known to promote the termination of vitellogenesis, even in the absence of detectable labeling of the 32 kDa substrate. The possibility remains that phosphorylation at 32 kDa concerns later aspects of postvellogenic development that were not tested by the assay system used here.

Pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein that supports vitellogenin uptake by promoting patency

Ovarian follicles of Hyalophora cecropia stopped accumulating [35S]vitellogenin when incubated in pertussis toxin, a Gi protein inactivator. At a cellular level, the responses to pertusis toxin resembled those described earlier to cell-permeant analogs of cyclic AMP. They included accelerated 36Cl-exchange, 86Rb+ uptake, and follicle cell swelling, which in turn resulted in a loss of epithelial patency. A 34% rise in follicular cAMP content accompanied these changes. In particulate fractions of follicle homogenates, pertussis toxin catalyzed the ADP-ribosylation of a polypeptide that resolved at 39 kDa in SDS-PAGE; rabbit antibodies to a C-terminal decapeptide common to 39 kDa mammalian Gi alpha-3 and G(o) alpha were bound in immunoblots at this same location. The findings suggest that a pertussis toxin-sensitive G alpha facilitates epithelial patency during vitellogenesis by suppressing cAMP levels. When follicles are released from this restraint, either experimentally with pertussis toxin or by progressing to the next phase in their normal program of development, cAMP levels rise and vitellogenesis terminates.