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Geng DQ, Wang XL, Lyu XY, Raikhel AS, Zou Z. Ecdysone-controlled nuclear receptor ERR regulates metabolic homeostasis in the disease vector mosquito Aedes aegypti. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011196. [PMID: 38466721 PMCID: PMC10957079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Hematophagous mosquitoes require vertebrate blood for their reproductive cycles, making them effective vectors for transmitting dangerous human diseases. Thus, high-intensity metabolism is needed to support reproductive events of female mosquitoes. However, the regulatory mechanism linking metabolism and reproduction in mosquitoes remains largely unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of estrogen-related receptor (ERR), a nuclear receptor, is activated by the direct binding of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and ecdysone receptor (EcR) to the ecdysone response element (EcRE) in the ERR promoter region during the gonadotropic cycle of Aedes aegypti (named AaERR). RNA interference (RNAi) of AaERR in female mosquitoes led to delayed development of ovaries. mRNA abundance of genes encoding key enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism (CM)-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) and pyruvate kinase (PYK)-was significantly decreased in AaERR knockdown mosquitoes, while the levels of metabolites, such as glycogen, glucose, and trehalose, were elevated. The expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) was notably downregulated, and lipid accumulation was reduced in response to AaERR depletion. Dual luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) determined that AaERR directly activated the expression of metabolic genes, such as GPI, PYK, and FAS, by binding to the corresponding AaERR-responsive motif in the promoter region of these genes. Our results have revealed an important role of AaERR in the regulation of metabolism during mosquito reproduction and offer a novel target for mosquito control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Qian Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Alexander S. Raikhel
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Sun X, Wang X, Shi K, Lyu X, Sun J, Raikhel AS, Zou Z. Leucine aminopeptidase1 controls egg deposition and hatchability in male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:106. [PMID: 38168045 PMCID: PMC10762072 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44444-z] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti are vectors for several arboviruses infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. Controlling mosquito populations by regulating their reproduction is a potential strategy to minimize viral transmission in the absence of effective antiviral therapies or vaccines. Here, we demonstrate that leucine aminopeptidase1 (LAP1), detected by a SWATH-MS-based proteomic screen of female spermathecae, is a crucial determinant in mosquito population expansion. Mitochondrial defects and aberrant autophagy of sperm in LAP1 mutant males (LAP1-/-), prepared using CRISPR/Cas9 system, result in a reduction of reproduction in wild-type females that mated with them. The fitness of LAP1-/- males is strong enough to efficiently transmit genetic changes to mosquito populations through a low number of hatchable offspring. Thus, LAP1-/- males represent an opportunity to suppress mosquito populations and further studies should be undertaken to characterize LAP1's suitability for gene drive usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xueli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiangyang Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Alexander S Raikhel
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Zhen Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Ding J, Cui C, Wang G, Wei G, Bai L, Li Y, Sun P, Dong L, Liu Z, Yun J, Li F, Li K, He L, Wang S. Engineered Gut Symbiotic Bacterium-Mediated RNAi for Effective Control of Anopheles Mosquito Larvae. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0166623. [PMID: 37458601 PMCID: PMC10433860 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01666-23] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Anopheles mosquitoes are the primary vectors for the transmission of malaria parasites, which poses a devastating burden on global public health and welfare. The recent invasion of Anopheles stephensi in Africa has made malaria eradication more challenging due to its outdoor biting behavior and widespread resistance to insecticides. To address this issue, we developed a new approach for mosquito larvae control using gut microbiota-mediated RNA interference (RNAi). We engineered a mosquito symbiotic gut bacterium, Serratia fonticola, by deleting its RNase III gene to produce double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) in the mosquito larval gut. We found that the engineered S. fonticola strains can stably colonize mosquito larval guts and produce dsRNAs dsMet or dsEcR to activate RNAi and effectively suppress the expression of methoprene-tolerant gene Met and ecdysone receptor gene EcR, which encode receptors for juvenile hormone and ecdysone pathways in mosquitoes, respectively. Importantly, the engineered S. fonticola strains markedly inhibit the development of A. stephensi larvae and leads to a high mortality, providing an effective dsRNA delivery system for silencing genes in insects and a novel RNAi-mediated pest control strategy. Collectively, our symbiont-mediated RNAi (smRNAi) approach offers an innovative and sustainable method for controlling mosquito larvae and provides a promising strategy for combating malaria. IMPORTANCE Mosquitoes are vectors for various diseases, imposing a significant threat to public health globally. The recent invasion of A. stephensi in Africa has made malaria eradication more challenging due to its outdoor biting behavior and widespread resistance to insecticides. RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising approach that uses dsRNA to silence specific genes in pests. This study presents the use of a gut symbiotic bacterium, Serratia fonticola, as an efficient delivery system of dsRNA for RNAi-mediated pest control. The knockout of RNase III, a dsRNA-specific endonuclease gene, in S. fonticola using CRISPR-Cas9 led to efficient dsRNA production. Engineered strains of S. fonticola can colonize the mosquito larval gut and effectively suppress the expression of two critical genes, Met and EcR, which inhibit mosquito development and cause high mortality in mosquito larvae. This study highlights the potential of exploring the mosquito microbiota as a source of dsRNA for RNAi-based pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Ding
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlai Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guandong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ge Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yifei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peilu Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zicheng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqi Yun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Li
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin He
- School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sibao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Opportunistic binding of EcR to open chromatin drives tissue-specific developmental responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208935119. [PMID: 36161884 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208935119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones perform diverse biological functions in developing and adult animals. However, the mechanistic basis for their tissue specificity remains unclear. In Drosophila, the ecdysone steroid hormone is essential for coordinating developmental timing across physically separated tissues. Ecdysone directly impacts genome function through its nuclear receptor, a heterodimer of the EcR and ultraspiracle proteins. Ligand binding to EcR triggers a transcriptional cascade, including activation of a set of primary response transcription factors. The hierarchical organization of this pathway has left the direct role of EcR in mediating ecdysone responses obscured. Here, we investigate the role of EcR in controlling tissue-specific ecdysone responses, focusing on two tissues that diverge in their response to rising ecdysone titers: the larval salivary gland, which undergoes programmed destruction, and the wing imaginal disc, which initiates morphogenesis. We find that EcR functions bimodally, with both gene repressive and activating functions, even at the same developmental stage. EcR DNA binding profiles are highly tissue-specific, and transgenic reporter analyses demonstrate that EcR plays a direct role in controlling enhancer activity. Finally, despite a strong correlation between tissue-specific EcR binding and tissue-specific open chromatin, we find that EcR does not control chromatin accessibility at genomic targets. We conclude that EcR contributes extensively to tissue-specific ecdysone responses. However, control over access to its binding sites is subordinated to other transcription factors.
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