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Residues of Legume AG41 Peptide Crucial to Its Bio-Insecticidal Activity. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13030446. [PMID: 36979381 PMCID: PMC10046687 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, crop protection relies heavily on chemical treatments, which ultimately leads to environmental contamination and pest resistance. Societal and public policy considerations urge the need for new eco-friendly solutions. In this perspective, biopesticides are effective alternatives to chemical insecticides for the control of various insect pests. Legumes contain numerous insecticidal proteins aimed at protecting their high nitrogen content from animal/insect predation. Investigating one such protein family at genome scale, we discovered a unique diversity of the albumin 1 family in the (model) barrel medic genome. Only some members retained very high insecticidal activity. We uncovered that AG41 peptide from the alfalfa roots displays an outstanding insecticidal activity against several pests such as aphids and weevils. Here we report the 3D structure and activity of AG41 peptide. Significant insights into the structural/functional relationships explained AG41 high insecticidal activity. Such observations pave the way for the development of bio-insecticides, with AG41 peptide as the lead compound.
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Attah FA, Lawal BA, Yusuf AB, Adedeji OJ, Folahan JT, Akhigbe KO, Roy T, Lawal AA, Ogah NB, Olorundare OE, Chamcheu JC. Nutritional and Pharmaceutical Applications of Under-Explored Knottin Peptide-Rich Phytomedicines. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3271. [PMID: 36501311 PMCID: PMC9737898 DOI: 10.3390/plants11233271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Phytomedicines reportedly rich in cystine knot peptides (Knottins) are found in several global diets, food/herbal supplements and functional foods. However, their knottin peptide content has largely been unexplored, notably for their emerging dual potentials at both the food and medicine space. The nutritional roles, biological targets and mechanism(s) of activity of these knotted peptides are largely unknown. Meanwhile, knottins have recently been unveiled as emerging peptide therapeutics and nutraceuticals of primary choice due to their broad spectrum of bioactivity, hyper stability, selective toxicity, impressive selectivity for biomolecular targets, and their bioengineering applications. In addition to their potential dietary benefits, some knottins have displayed desirable limited toxicity to human erythrocytes. In an effort to appraise what has been accomplished, unveil knowledge gaps and explore the future prospects of knottins, an elaborate review of the nutritional and pharmaceutical application of phytomedicines rich in knottins was carried out. Herein, we provide comprehensive data on common dietary and therapeutic knottins, the majority of which are poorly investigated in many food-grade phytomedicines used in different cultures and localities. Findings from this review should stimulate scientific interest to unveil novel dietary knottins and knottin-rich nutraceutical peptide drug candidates/leads with potential for future clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Alfred Attah
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240272, Nigeria
| | - Bilqis Abiola Lawal
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240272, Nigeria
| | - Abdulmalik Babatunde Yusuf
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240272, Nigeria
| | - Oluwakorede Joshua Adedeji
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240272, Nigeria
| | - Joy Temiloluwa Folahan
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA
| | - Kelvin Oluwafemi Akhigbe
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240272, Nigeria
| | - Tithi Roy
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA
| | - Azeemat Adeola Lawal
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240272, Nigeria
| | - Ngozi Blessing Ogah
- Department of Biotechnology, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki 480101, Nigeria
| | | | - Jean Christopher Chamcheu
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA
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Guo CF, Qiu JH, Hu YW, Xu PP, Deng YQ, Tian L, Wei YY, Sang W, Liu YT, Qiu BL. Silencing of V-ATPase-E gene causes midgut apoptosis of Diaphorina citri and affects its acquisition of Huanglongbing pathogen. INSECT SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 36346663 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is among the most important pests of citrus. It is the main vector of the Huanglongbing (HLB) pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which causes severe losses in citrus crops. Control of D. citri is therefore of paramount importance to reduce the spread of HLB. In this regard, using RNA interference (RNAi) to silence target genes is a useful strategy to control psyllids. In this study, using RNAi, we examined the biological functions of the V-ATPase subunit E (V-ATP-E) gene of D. citri, including its effect on acquisition of CLas. The amino acid sequence of V-ATP-E from D. citri had high homology with proteins from other insects. V-ATP-E was expressed at all D. citri life stages analyzed, and the expression level in mature adults was higher than that of teneral adults. Silencing of V-ATP-E resulted in a significant increase in mortality, reduced body weight, and induced cell apoptosis of the D. citri midgut. The reduced expression of V-ATP-E was indicated to inhibit CLas passing through the midgut and into the hemolymph, leading to a majority of CLas being confined to the midgut. In addition, double-stranded RNA of D. citri V-ATP-E was safe to non-target parasitic wasps. These results suggest that V-ATP-E is an effective RNAi target that can be used in D. citri control to block CLas infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Fei Guo
- Engineering Research Center of Biocontrol, Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Hong Qiu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vector Insects, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu-Wei Hu
- Key Laboratory of South China Modern Biological Seed Industry, MARA, National S&T Innovation Center for Modern Agricultural Industry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei-Ping Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Biocontrol, Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying-Qi Deng
- Engineering Research Center of Biocontrol, Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Tian
- College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Yun Wei
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vector Insects, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wen Sang
- Engineering Research Center of Biocontrol, Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of South China Modern Biological Seed Industry, MARA, National S&T Innovation Center for Modern Agricultural Industry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bao-Li Qiu
- Engineering Research Center of Biocontrol, Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vector Insects, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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Hirano H. Basic 7S globulin in plants. J Proteomics 2021; 240:104209. [PMID: 33794343 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Soybean seed basic 7S globulin (Bg7S)-like proteins are found in many plant species. Bg7S was originally thought to be a major seed storage protein but was later found to be multifunctional, with stress response, antibacterial activity, hormone receptor-like activity. Moreover, functional differences between Bg7S proteins from legumes and other plants have been revealed. In non-leguminous plants, Bg7S molecules inhibit the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms. However, although leguminous plants have a peptide called leg-insulin that can bind to Bg7S, non-leguminous plants do not have leginsulin. Bg7S in leguminous plants and other plants may have evolved in functionally different directions. Several homologs of Bg7S in plants are reported, but there is no homolog of this protein in peas, suggesting that the pea evolution might have followed a different route when compared to other leguminous plants. Although the functions of Bg7S are well documented in plants, recent studies suggest that this protein is also important in controlling blood glucose level, blood pressure and plasma cholesterol level, and cancer cell antiproliferative actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Hirano
- Advanced Medical Science Research Center, Gunma Paz University, Shibukawa 1338-4, Shibukawa, Gunma 377-0008, Japan; Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Showa 3-39-15, Maebashi 371-8512, Japan.
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Gene Sequences of Potential Targets of Insecticidal PF2 Lectin Identified from the Larval De Novo Transcriptome of the Mexican Bean Weevil ( Zabrotes Subfasciatus; Boheman 1833). INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11110736. [PMID: 33121035 PMCID: PMC7693830 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The Mexican bean weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus is a major insect pest of stored beans. We have previously reported that the PF2 lectin, which is a protein found in the desert wild legume Olneya tesota (Palo Fierro), is toxic to Z. subfasciatus by inhibiting its early larval development. The use of proteomic means allowed us to identify PF2 targets in the midgut of Z. subfasciatus larvae. However, efforts to completely elucidate the insecticidal mechanism of PF2, as well as novel potential targets for insecticidal compounds, have been hindered by the lack of available genomic and proteomic information of non-model insects. Therefore, in this work we massively sequenced and analyzed the transcripts expressed in the larval stage of Z. subfasciatus, which is the first transcriptome reported for this insect. A total of 29,029 transcript sequences were identified, of which 30 sequences encode putative targets of PF2. The functional characteristics and biochemical, biological, or molecular roles for 15,124 sequences were established by means of bioinformatics tools. This study significantly increased the available genetic resources for Zabrotes and related insect species and will be helpful for any kind of future study that requires information on genes or protein sequences. Abstract The available genomic and proteomic information of non-model organisms is often underrepresented in public databases hindering their study at molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. Information on Zabrotes subfasciatus (Mexican bean weevil) is poorly represented in databases, yet it is a major pest of common beans. We report the transcriptome of Z. subfasciatus larvae; transcripts were sequenced using an Illumina RNA-Seq technology and assembled de novo identifying 29,029 unigenes with an average size of 1168 bp and an N50 value of 2196 bp. About 15,124 unigenes (52%) were functionally annotated and categorized. Further analysis revealed 30 unigene sequences encoding putative targets of the insecticidal PF2 lectin. The complete deduced amino acid sequences of eight selected proteins potentially related to insecticidal mechanism of Palo Fierro 2 (PF2) were used for predicting probable N-glycosylation sites and analyzing phylogenetic relationships with insect sequences. This work provides a dramatic increase in the genetic resources available for Coleopterans and set the basis for developing future studies on biological aspects and potential control strategies for Z. subfasciatus.
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Huang J, Wong KH, Tay SV, Serra A, Sze SK, Tam JP. Astratides: Insulin-Modulating, Insecticidal, and Antifungal Cysteine-Rich Peptides from Astragalus membranaceus. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2019; 82:194-204. [PMID: 30758201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Astragalus membranaceus root, Huang Qi in Chinese, is a popular medicinal herb traditionally used to regulate blood glucose. Herein, the identification and characterization of two families of cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs), designated α- and β-astratides, from A. membranaceus roots are reported. Proteomic analysis showed that α-astratide aM1 and β-astratide bM1 belong to two distinct CRP families. The six-cysteine-containing and proline-rich α-astratide aM1 displayed high sequence identity to Pea Albumin 1 Subunit b (PA1b), while the eight-cysteine-containing β-astratide bM1 showed sequence similarity to plant defensins. An antifungal assay revealed that bM1 possessed potent antifungal activity. In contrast, aM1 showed a cytotoxic effect against insect Sf9 cells. More importantly, aM1 decreased insulin secretion in mouse pancreatic β cells, suggesting it could interfere in glucose homeostasis, which accounts for the adaptogenic property of A. membranaceus. Phylogenetic clustering analysis suggested that the proline-rich aM1 is a putative prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor and belongs to a novel subfamily of PA1b-like peptides, while bM1 belongs to a new subfamily of plant defensins. Together, the study reveals that astratides are multifunctional CRPs in plants, which expand the existing library of PA1b-like peptides and plant defensins and further our understanding of their roles in host-defense system and leads as peptidyl therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Huang
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
| | - Ka H Wong
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
| | - Stephanie V Tay
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
| | - Aida Serra
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
| | - Siu Kuan Sze
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
| | - James P Tam
- School of Biological Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , 60 Nanyang Drive , Singapore 637551
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Wang XR, Wang C, Wang XW, Qian LX, Chi Y, Liu SS, Liu YQ, Wang XW. The functions of caspase in whitefly Bemisia tabaci apoptosis in response to ultraviolet irradiation. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 27:739-751. [PMID: 29892978 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) are phloem feeders, and some invasive species are composed of cryptic species complexes that cause extensive crop damage, particularly via the direct transmission of plant viruses. Apoptosis is a type of programmed cell death essential for organismal development and tissue homeostasis. The caspases belong to a family of cysteine proteases that play a central role in the initiation of apoptosis in many organisms. Here, we employed a comprehensive genomics approach to identity caspases in B. tabaci Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), an invasive whitefly that carries a cryptic species complex that is devastating to crops. Four caspase genes were identified, and their motif compositions were predicted. Structures were relatively conserved in both putative effector and initiator caspases. Expression patterns of caspase genes differed across insect developmental stages. Three caspase genes were induced immediately after ultraviolet (UV) treatment. Expression levels of Bt-caspase-1 and Bt-caspase-3b increased in the midgut and salivary glands during apoptosis induced by UV treatments, whereas silencing of both genes reduced UV-triggered apoptosis. Our study demonstrates that Bt-caspase-1 and Bt-caspase-3b, respectively, act as putative initiator and effector apoptotic caspases in the MEAM1 whitefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- X-R Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - C Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - X-W Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - L-X Qian
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Y Chi
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - S-S Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Y-Q Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - X-W Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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