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Patlar B. On the Role of Seminal Fluid Protein and Nucleic Acid Content in Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314533. [PMID: 36498858 PMCID: PMC9739459 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The evidence supports the occurrence of environmentally-induced paternal epigenetic inheritance that shapes the offspring phenotype in the absence of direct or indirect paternal care and clearly demonstrates that sperm epigenetics is one of the major actors mediating these paternal effects. However, in most animals, while sperm makes up only a small portion of the seminal fluid, males also have a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, different types of small noncoding RNAs, and cell-free DNA fragments in their ejaculate. These seminal fluid contents (Sfcs) are in close contact with the reproductive cells, tissues, organs, and other molecules of both males and females during reproduction. Moreover, their production and use are adjusted in response to environmental conditions, making them potential markers of environmentally- and developmentally-induced paternal effects on the next generation(s). Although there is some intriguing evidence for Sfc-mediated paternal effects, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this review, the current evidence regarding the links between seminal fluid and environmental paternal effects and the potential pathways and mechanisms that seminal fluid may follow in mediating paternal epigenetic inheritance are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Patlar
- Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Cheng J, Zhao P, Zhu L, Zhu F, Tian Z, Shen Z, Liu X, Liu X. Corazonin signaling modulates the synthetic activity of male accessory gland in Grapholita molesta. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 216:446-455. [PMID: 35810848 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although neuropeptide corazonin (Crz) has been identified in numerous insect species, the research about its function in regulation of reproduction is still in its infancy. Herein, we characterized the Crz (GmolCrz) and its receptor (GmolCrzR) to investigate their reproductive function in Grapholita molesta. Both molecular docking result and cell-based receptor activity assay showed that GmolCrz could interact with GmolCrzR. Additionally, spatial expression patterns of GmolCrz and GmolCrzR in males were evaluated. Knockdown of GmolCrz or GmolCrzR significantly lengthened copulation duration and decreased fertility in males. In these males, we found that the production of sperm was normal, while the content of accessory gland proteins (Acps) in the accessory gland (AG) was strongly diminished. Furthermore, knockdown of GmolCrz or GmolCrzR in males had no effect on sperm and Acps transfer to females. RNA-seq and gene expression analyses further confirmed that genes involved in serine-type endopeptidase activity were significantly downregulated in the AG upon GmolCrzR knockdown. Finally, sperm activation assays demonstrated that this process was disrupted in the spermatophore of females mated with GmolCrz or GmolCrzR knockdown males, which may cause the decreased fertility in males. Our findings provide new insights into the functions of Crz signaling in a Lepidopteran insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Cheng
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fang Zhu
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Zhiqiang Tian
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhongjian Shen
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaoxia Liu
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Lab of Pest Monitoring and Green Management, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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Van Lommel J, Lenaerts C, Delgouffe C, Vanden Broeck J. Knockdown of ecdysone receptor in male desert locusts affects relative weight of accessory glands and mating behavior. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 138:104368. [PMID: 35134451 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Locusts have been known as pests of agricultural crops for thousands of years. Recently (2018-2021) the world has faced the largest swarms of desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, in decades and food security in large parts of Africa and Asia was under extreme pressure. There is an urgent need for the development of highly specific bio-rational pesticides to combat these pests. However, to do so, fundamental research is needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind key physiological processes underpinning swarm formation, such as development and reproduction. The scope of this study is to investigate the possible role(s) of the ecdysteroid receptor in the reproductive physiology of male S. gregaria. Ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones are two important classes of insect hormones and are key regulators of post-embryonic development. Ecdysteroids are best known for their role in moulting and exert their function via a heterodimer consisting of the nuclear receptors ecdysone receptor (EcR) and retinoid-X receptor (RXR). To gain insight into the role of SgEcR and/or SgRXR in the male reproductive physiology of S. gregaria we performed RNAi-induced knockdown experiments. A knockdown of SgEcR, but not SgRXR, resulted in an increased relative weight of the male accessory glands (MAG). Furthermore, the knockdown of these genes, either in combination or separately, caused a significant delay in the onset of mating behavior. Nevertheless, the MAG appeared to mature normally and the fertility of mated males was not affected. The high transcript levels of SgEcR in the fat body, especially towards the end of sexual maturation in both males and females, represent a remarkable finding since as of yet the exact role of SgEcR in this tissue in S. gregaria is unknown. Finally, our data suggest that in some cases SgEcR and SgRXR might act independently of each other. This is supported by the fact that the spatiotemporal expression profiles of SgEcR and SgRXR do not always coincide and that knockdown of SgEcR, but not SgRXR, significantly affected the relative weight of the MAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Van Lommel
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cynthia Lenaerts
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Delgouffe
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Department of Biology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Lab., Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Naamsestraat 59 - Box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Meuti ME, Short SM. Physiological and Environmental Factors Affecting the Composition of the Ejaculate in Mosquitoes and Other Insects. INSECTS 2019; 10:E74. [PMID: 30875967 PMCID: PMC6468485 DOI: 10.3390/insects10030074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In addition to transferring sperm, male mosquitoes deliver several proteins, hormones and other factors to females in their seminal fluid that inhibit remating, alter host-seeking behaviors and stimulate oviposition. Recently, bioinformatics, transcriptomics and proteomics have been used to characterize the genes transcribed in male reproductive tissues and the individual proteins that are delivered to females. Thanks to these foundational studies, we now understand the complexity of the ejaculate in several mosquito species. Building on this work, researchers have begun to identify the functions of various proteins and hormones in the male ejaculate, and how they mediate their effects on female mosquitoes. Here, we present an overview of these studies, followed by a discussion of an under-studied aspect of male reproductive physiology: the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the composition of the ejaculate. We argue that future research in this area would improve our understanding of male reproductive biology from a physiological and ecological perspective, and that researchers may be able to leverage this information to study key components of the ejaculate. Furthermore, this work has the potential to improve mosquito control by allowing us to account for relevant factors when implementing vector control strategies involving male reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Meuti
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, 2001 Fyffe Rd., Room 232 Howlett Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Sarah M Short
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, 2001 Fyffe Rd., Room 232 Howlett Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Al Shareefi E, Cotter SC. The nutritional ecology of maturation in a carnivorous insect. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ekhlas Al Shareefi
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, MBC, Belfast, UK
| | - Sheena C Cotter
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
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Kubo A, Matsuka M, Minami R, Kimura F, Sakata-Niitsu R, Kokuryo A, Taniguchi K, Adachi-Yamada T, Nakagoshi H. Nutrient conditions sensed by the reproductive organ during development optimize male fecundity in Drosophila. Genes Cells 2018; 23:557-567. [DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayuko Kubo
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology; Okayama University; Okayama Japan
| | - Mirai Matsuka
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology; Okayama University; Okayama Japan
| | - Ryunosuke Minami
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology; Okayama University; Okayama Japan
| | - Fumika Kimura
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology; Okayama University; Okayama Japan
| | - Rumi Sakata-Niitsu
- Department of Life Science; Faculty of Science; Gakushuin University; Tokyo Japan
| | - Akihiko Kokuryo
- Department of Life Science; Faculty of Science; Gakushuin University; Tokyo Japan
| | - Kiichiro Taniguchi
- Department of Life Science; Faculty of Science; Gakushuin University; Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Hideki Nakagoshi
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology; Okayama University; Okayama Japan
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7
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin M. Bonilla
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNVUSA
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public HealthHarvard UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Jeanne A. Zeh
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNVUSA
| | - David W. Zeh
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNVUSA
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