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Lamsal M, Luker HA, Pinch M, Hansen IA. RNAi-Mediated Knockdown of Acidic Ribosomal Stalk Protein P1 Arrests Egg Development in Adult Female Yellow Fever Mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti. INSECTS 2024; 15:84. [PMID: 38392504 PMCID: PMC10889338 DOI: 10.3390/insects15020084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
After taking a blood meal, the fat body of the adult female yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, switches from a previtellogenic state of arrest to an active state of synthesizing large quantities of yolk protein precursors (YPPs) that are crucial for egg development. The synthesis of YPPs is regulated at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Previously, we identified the cytoplasmic protein general control nonderepressible 1 (GCN1) as a part of the translational regulatory pathway for YPP synthesis. In the current study, we used the C-terminal end of GCN1 to screen for protein-protein interactions and identified 60S acidic ribosomal protein P1 (P1). An expression analysis and RNAi-mediated knockdown of P1 was performed to further investigate the role of P1 in mosquito reproduction. We showed that in unfed (absence of a blood meal) adult A. aegypti mosquitoes, P1 was expressed ubiquitously in the mosquito organs and tissues tested. We also showed that the RNAi-mediated knockdown of P1 in unfed adult female mosquitoes resulted in a strong, transient knockdown with observable phenotypic changes in ovary length and egg deposition. Our results suggest that 60S acidic ribosomal protein P1 is necessary for mosquito reproduction and is a promising target for mosquito population control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Lamsal
- Molecular Vector Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
| | - Hailey A Luker
- Molecular Vector Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
| | - Matthew Pinch
- Department of Biology, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Immo A Hansen
- Molecular Vector Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
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Chen K, Dou X, Eum JH, Harrison RE, Brown MR, Strand MR. Insulin-like peptides and ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone differentially stimulate physiological processes regulating egg formation in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 163:104028. [PMID: 37913852 PMCID: PMC10842226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.104028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes including Aedes aegypti are human disease vectors because females must blood feed to produce and lay eggs. Blood feeding triggers insulin-insulin growth factor signaling (IIS) which regulates several physiological processes required for egg development. A. aegypti encodes 8 insulin-like peptides (ILPs) and one insulin-like receptor (IR) plus ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone (OEH) that also activates IIS through the OEH receptor (OEHR). In this study, we assessed the expression of A. aegypti ILPs and OEH during a gonadotrophic cycle and produced each that were functionally characterized to further understand their roles in regulating egg formation. All A. aegypti ILPs and OEH were expressed during a gonadotrophic cycle. Five ILPs (1, 3, 4, 7, 8) and OEH were specifically expressed in the head, while antibodies to ILP3 and OEH indicated each was released after blood feeding from ventricular axons that terminate on the anterior midgut. A subset of ILP family members and OEH stimulated nutrient storage in previtellogenic females before blood feeding, whereas most IIS-dependent processes after blood feeding were activated by one or more of the brain-specific ILPs and/or OEH. ILPs and OEH with different biological activities also exhibited differences in IIS as measured by phosphorylation of the IR, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt kinase (AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Altogether, our results provide the first results that compare the functional activities of all ILP family members and OEH produced by an insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangkang Chen
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Dou
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jai Hoon Eum
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ruby E Harrison
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Mark R Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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Harrison RE, Yang X, Eum JH, Martinson VG, Dou X, Valzania L, Wang Y, Boyd BM, Brown MR, Strand MR. The mosquito Aedes aegypti requires a gut microbiota for normal fecundity, longevity and vector competence. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1154. [PMID: 37957247 PMCID: PMC10643675 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05545-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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes shift from detritus-feeding larvae to blood-feeding adults that can vector pathogens to humans and other vertebrates. The sugar and blood meals adults consume are rich in carbohydrates and protein but are deficient in other nutrients including B vitamins. Facultatively hematophagous insects like mosquitoes have been hypothesized to avoid B vitamin deficiencies by carryover of resources from the larval stage. However, prior experimental studies have also used adults with a gut microbiota that could provision B vitamins. Here, we used Aedes aegypti, which is the primary vector of dengue virus (DENV), to ask if carryover effects enable normal function in adults with no microbiota. We show that adults with no gut microbiota produce fewer eggs, live longer with lower metabolic rates, and exhibit reduced DENV vector competence but are rescued by provisioning B vitamins or recolonizing the gut with B vitamin autotrophs. We conclude carryover effects do not enable normal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby E Harrison
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Xiushuai Yang
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jai Hoon Eum
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Vincent G Martinson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Dou
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Luca Valzania
- Institut Curie, 20 Rue d'Ulm, 75238, Paris, Cedex 05, France
| | - Yin Wang
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Bret M Boyd
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Mark R Brown
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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Wang J, Jiang S, Zhang W, Xiong Y, Jin S, Cheng D, Zheng Y, Qiao H, Fu H. Function Analysis of Cholesterol 7-Desaturase in Ovarian Maturation and Molting in Macrobrachium nipponense: Providing Evidence for Reproductive Molting Progress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086940. [PMID: 37108104 PMCID: PMC10138363 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cholesterol 7-desaturase gene plays an important role in insect ecdysone synthesis, but its role in ovarian development has not been reported. In this study, characteristics and the phylogenetic relationship of Cholesterol 7-desaturase were identified by bioinformatics. qPCR showed that the Mn-CH7D gene was highly expressed in the ovary, which was much higher than that in other tissues, and the expression level of Mn-CH7D reached the highest level at the third stage of the ovarian development stage (O-III). During embryonic development, the Mn-CH7D gene expression was highest in the zoea stage. The function of the Mn-CH7D gene was explored by RNA interference. The experimental group was injected with Mn-CH7D dsRNA through the pericardial cavity of M. nipponense, while the control group was injected with the same volume of dsGFP. Statistical analysis of gonadal development and GSI calculation showed that the silencing of Mn-CH7D resulted in the suppression of gonadal development. In addition, the molting frequency of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group during the second molting cycle after silencing Mn-CH7D. On the seventh day after silencing, ecdysone content in the experimental group was significantly reduced. These results demonstrated that the Mn-CH7D gene played a dual role in ovarian maturation and molting of M. nipponense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisheng Wang
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Sufei Jiang
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Yiwei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Shubo Jin
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Dan Cheng
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Yalu Zheng
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Hui Qiao
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Hongtuo Fu
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China
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Conway MJ, Haslitt DP, Swarts BM. Targeting Aedes aegypti Metabolism with Next-Generation Insecticides. Viruses 2023; 15:469. [PMID: 36851683 PMCID: PMC9964334 DOI: 10.3390/v15020469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue virus (DENV), zika virus (ZIKV), and other emerging infectious diseases of concern. A key disease mitigation strategy is vector control, which relies heavily on the use of insecticides. The development of insecticide resistance poses a major threat to public health worldwide. Unfortunately, there is a limited number of chemical compounds available for vector control, and these chemicals can have off-target effects that harm invertebrate and vertebrate species. Fundamental basic science research is needed to identify novel molecular targets that can be exploited for vector control. Next-generation insecticides will have unique mechanisms of action that can be used in combination to limit selection of insecticide resistance. Further, molecular targets will be species-specific and limit off-target effects. Studies have shown that mosquitoes rely on key nutrients during multiple life cycle stages. Targeting metabolic pathways is a promising direction that can deprive mosquitoes of nutrition and interfere with development. Metabolic pathways are also important for the virus life cycle. Here, we review studies that reveal the importance of dietary and stored nutrients during mosquito development and infection and suggest strategies to identify next-generation insecticides with a focus on trehalase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Conway
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Douglas P. Haslitt
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Benjamin M. Swarts
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
- Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Graduate Programs, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
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