1
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Lindestad O, Nylin S, Wheat CW, Gotthard K. Testing for variation in photoperiodic plasticity in a butterfly: Inconsistent effects of circadian genes between geographic scales. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11713. [PMID: 38975264 PMCID: PMC11227937 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetic components of the circadian clock have been implicated as involved in photoperiodic regulation of winter diapause across various insect groups, thereby contributing to adaptation to adverse seasonal conditions. So far, the effects of within-population variation in these genes have not been well explored. Here, we present an experimental test of the effects of within-population variation at two circadian genes, timeless and period, on photoperiodic responses in the butterfly Pararge aegeria. While nonsynonymous candidate SNPs in both of these genes have previously shown to be associated with diapause induction on a between-population level, in the present experiment no such effect was found on a within-population level. In trying to reconcile these results, we examine sequence data, revealing considerable, previously unknown protein-level variation at both timeless and period across Scandinavian populations, including variants unique to the population studied here. Hence, we hypothesize that these variants may counteract the previously observed diapause-averting effect of the candidate SNPs, possibly explaining the difference in results between the experiments. Whatever the cause, these results highlight how the effects of candidate SNPs may sometimes vary across genetic backgrounds, which complicates evolutionary interpretations of geographic patterns of genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olle Lindestad
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Sören Nylin
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | | | - Karl Gotthard
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholmSweden
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2
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Abe S, Takahata Y, Miyakawa H. Daphnia uses its circadian clock for short-day recognition in environmental sex determination. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2002-2010.e3. [PMID: 38579713 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Some organisms have developed a mechanism called environmental sex determination (ESD), which allows environmental cues, rather than sex chromosomes or genes, to determine offspring sex.1,2,3,4 ESD is advantageous to optimize sex ratios according to environmental conditions, enhancing reproductive success.5,6 However, the process by which organisms perceive and translate diverse environmental signals into offspring sex remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the environmental perception mechanism in the crustacean, Daphnia pulex, a seasonal (photoperiodic) ESD arthropod, capable of producing females under long days and males under short days.7,8,9,10 Through breeding experiments, we found that their circadian clock likely contributes to perception of day length. To explore this further, we created a genetically modified daphnid by knocking out the clock gene, period, using genome editing. Knockout disrupted the daphnid's ability to sustain diel vertical migration (DVM) under constant darkness, driven by the circadian clock, and leading them to produce females regardless of day length. Additionally, when exposed to an analog of juvenile hormone (JH), an endocrine factor synthesized in mothers during male production, or subjected to unfavorable conditions of high density and low food availability, these knockout daphnids produced males regardless of day length, like wild-type daphnids. Based on these findings, we propose that recognizing short days via the circadian clock is the initial step in sex determination. This recognition subsequently triggers male production by signaling the endocrine system, specifically via the JH signal. Establishment of a connection between these two processes may be the crucial element in evolution of ESD in Daphnia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shione Abe
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan
| | - Yugo Takahata
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Miyakawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan.
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3
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Zhao Y, Zhao X, Jiang T, Xi H, Jiang Y, Feng X. A Retrospective Review on Dysregulated Autophagy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: From Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Strategies. Horm Metab Res 2024. [PMID: 38565184 DOI: 10.1055/a-2280-7130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The main purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between autophagy and the pathological mechanism of PCOS, and to find potential therapeutic methods that can alleviate the pathological mechanism of PCOS by targeting autophagy. Relevant literatures were searched in the following databases, including: PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus. The search terms were "autophagy", "PCOS", "polycystic ovary syndrome", "ovulation", "hyperandrogenemia", "insulin resistance", "inflammatory state", "circadian rhythm" and "treatment", which were combined according to the retrieval methods of different databases. Through analysis, we uncovered that abnormal levels of autophagy were closely related to abnormal ovulation, insulin resistance, hyperandrogenemia, and low-grade inflammation in patients with PCOS. Lifestyle intervention, melatonin, vitamin D, and probiotics, etc. were able to improve the pathological mechanism of PCOS via targeting autophagy. In conclusion, autophagy disorder is a key pathological mechanism in PCOS and is also a potential target for drug development and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhao
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Gynecology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tianyue Jiang
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Hongyan Xi
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Yuepeng Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Feng
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
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4
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Hasebe M, Sato M, Ushioda S, Kusuhara W, Kominato K, Shiga S. Significance of the clock gene period in photoperiodism in larval development and production of diapause eggs in the silkworm Bombyx mori. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 153:104615. [PMID: 38237657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104615] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Many insects living in seasonal environments sense seasonal changes from photoperiod and appropriately regulate their development and physiological activities. Genetic researches have indicated the importance of a circadian clock system in photoperiodic time-measurement for photoperiodic regulations. However, most previous studies have focused on the effects on a single photoperiodic phenotype, without elucidating whether the circadian clock is involved in the core photoperiodic mechanism or only in the production of one target phenotype, such as diapause. Here, we focused on two different phenotypes in a bivoltine Kosetsu strain of the silkworm Bombyx mori, namely, embryonic diapause and larval development, and examined their photoperiodic responses and relationship to the circadian clock gene period. Photoperiod during the larval stage clearly influenced the induction of embryonic diapause and duration of larval development in the Kosetsu strain; short-day exposure leaded to the production of diapause eggs and shortened the larval duration. Genetic knockout of period inhibited the short-day-induced embryonic diapause. Conversely, in the period-knockout silkworms, the larval duration was shortened, but the photoperiodic difference was maintained. In conclusion, our results indicate that the period gene is not causally involved in the photoperiodic response of larval development, while that is essential for the short-day-induced embryonic diapause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaharu Hasebe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Mizuka Sato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Ushioda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Wakana Kusuhara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Kazuki Kominato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Sakiko Shiga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
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Liu W, Yu Q, Wang C, Zhu X, Wang L, Zhang K, Li D, Ji J, Luo J, Cui J, Gao X. Silencing the rhythm gene AgCLK-1 reduced feeding of Aphis gossypii. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127777. [PMID: 37907175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover is an important cotton pest, and means of controlling this insect is a primary research focus. Although biological rhythm is an important mechanism that regulates numerous insect processes and activities, its role in cotton aphid has not been elucidated. In the present study, four highly-expressed circadian rhythm genes were selected from the cotton aphid genome database and their physicochemical properties and protein structures were analyzed. These genes were in the Takeout, Timeless, and Timeless interacting-related families, and the corresponding proteins contained highly-conserved Swis and TIMELESS domains. Gene expression analysis at multiple developmental stages revealed differing expression patterns between the four genes. AgCLK-1 had the highest relative expression of the four, especially during the nymph period. Silencing AgCLK-1 caused a significant refusal of the cotton aphids to feed at 1, 3, and 5 d of treatment. These results demonstrated that AgCLK-1 played a key role in regulating the feeding behavior of cotton aphid. This new functional understanding provides novel insights into cotton aphid biology and suggests new targeting strategies for agricultural pest control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijiao Liu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Qiqing Yu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Chuanpeng Wang
- Zoucheng Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jining 273500, Shandong, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Li Wang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Kaixin Zhang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Dongyang Li
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Jichao Ji
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China.
| | - Jinjie Cui
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China.
| | - Xueke Gao
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, Henan, China; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China.
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6
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Matsuda N. Hatching rhythm and clock gene expression in the egg of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 145:104489. [PMID: 36746317 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Many insects exhibit diel rhythms in physiology and behavior, driven by an endogenous circadian clock. Although aphids are paradigmatic insects whose photoperiodic time measurement is based on a heavily damped circadian clock, there is a lack of empirical data on such a damped circadian clock. The present study investigated the temporal distribution of hatching and the temporal expression patterns of circadian clock genes in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum under light-dark (LD) cycles and constant darkness (DD). Hatching occurred intensively in the early photophase, and this rhythm persisted under LD cycles, but damped under DD for a few days. Of the six clock genes analyzed, cyc showed a temporal change in expression under LD cycles, whereas this temporal change was lost under DD. These results suggest that the circadian clock of A. pisum is easily damped during the embryonic stage, supporting the heavily damped oscillator model in photoperiodic time measurement of aphids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Matsuda
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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7
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Clock gene-dependent glutamate dynamics in the bean bug brain regulate photoperiodic reproduction. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001734. [PMID: 36067166 PMCID: PMC9447885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals adequately modulate their physiological status and behavior according to the season. Many animals sense photoperiod for seasonal adaptation, and the circadian clock is suggested to play an essential role in photoperiodic time measurement. However, circadian clock-driven neural signals in the brain that convey photoperiodic information remain unclear. Here, we focused on brain extracellular dynamics of a classical neurotransmitter glutamate, which is widely used for brain neurotransmission, and analyzed its involvement in photoperiodic responses using the bean bug Riptortus pedestris that shows clear photoperiodism in reproduction. Extracellular glutamate levels in the whole brain were significantly higher under short-day conditions, which cause a reproductive diapause, than those under long-day conditions. The photoperiodic change in glutamate levels was clearly abolished by knockdown of the clock gene period. We also demonstrated that genetic modulation of glutamate dynamics by knockdown of glutamate-metabolizing enzyme genes, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (got) and glutamine synthetase (gs), attenuated photoperiodic responses in reproduction. Further, we investigated glutamate-mediated photoperiodic modulations at a cellular level, focusing on the pars intercerebralis (PI) neurons that photoperiodically change their neural activity and promote oviposition. Electrophysiological analyses showed that L-Glutamate acts as an inhibitory signal to PI neurons via glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl). Additionally, combination of electrophysiology and genetics revealed that knockdown of got, gs, and glucl disrupted cellular photoperiodic responses of the PI neurons, in addition to reproductive phenotypes. Our results reveal that the extracellular glutamate dynamics are photoperiodically regulated depending on the clock gene and play an essential role in the photoperiodic control of reproduction via inhibitory pathways.
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Homma S, Murata A, Ikegami M, Kobayashi M, Yamazaki M, Ikeda K, Daimon T, Numata H, Mizoguchi A, Shiomi K. Circadian Clock Genes Regulate Temperature-Dependent Diapause Induction in Silkworm Bombyx mori. Front Physiol 2022; 13:863380. [PMID: 35574475 PMCID: PMC9091332 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.863380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The bivoltine strain of the domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori, exhibits a facultative diapause phenotype that is determined by maternal environmental conditions during embryonic and larval development. Although a recent study implicated a circadian clock gene period (per) in circadian rhythms and photoperiod-induced diapause, the roles of other core feedback loop genes, including timeless (tim), Clock (Clk), cycle (cyc), and cryptochrome2 (cry2), have to be clarified yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of circadian clock genes in temperature-dependent diapause induction. To achieve this, per, tim, Clk, cyc, and cry2 knockout (KO) mutants were generated, and the percentages of diapause and non-diapause eggs were determined. The results show that per, tim, Clk, cyc, and cry2 regulated temperature-induced diapause by acting upstream of cerebral γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic and diapause hormone signaling pathways. Moreover, the temporal expression of the clock genes in wild-type (wt) silkworms was significantly different from that of thermosensitive transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) KO mutants during embryonic development. Overall, the findings of this study provide target genes for regulating temperature-dependent diapause induction in silkworms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Homma
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan
| | - Akihisa Murata
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan
| | - Masato Ikegami
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan
| | - Masakazu Kobayashi
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan
| | - Maki Yamazaki
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan
| | - Kento Ikeda
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takaaki Daimon
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Akira Mizoguchi
- Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Aichi Gakuin University, Nisshin, Japan
| | - Kunihiro Shiomi
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan
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Kotwica-Rolinska J, Damulewicz M, Chodakova L, Kristofova L, Dolezel D. Pigment Dispersing Factor Is a Circadian Clock Output and Regulates Photoperiodic Response in the Linden Bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus. Front Physiol 2022; 13:884909. [PMID: 35574487 PMCID: PMC9099023 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.884909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Daily and annually cycling conditions manifested on the Earth have forced organisms to develop time-measuring devices. Circadian clocks are responsible for adjusting physiology to the daily cycles in the environment, while the anticipation of seasonal changes is governed by the photoperiodic clock. Circadian clocks are cell-autonomous and depend on the transcriptional/translational feedback loops of the conserved clock genes. The synchronization among clock centers in the brain is achieved by the modulatory function of the clock-dependent neuropeptides. In insects, the most prominent clock neuropeptide is Pigment Dispersing Factor (PDF). Photoperiodic clock measures and computes the day and/or night length and adjusts physiology accordingly to the upcoming season. The exact mechanism of the photoperiodic clock and its direct signaling molecules are unknown but, in many insects, circadian clock genes are involved in the seasonal responses. While in Drosophila, PDF signaling participates both in the circadian clock output and in diapause regulation, the weak photoperiodic response curve of D. melanogaster is a major limitation in revealing the full role of PDF in the photoperiodic clock. Here we provide the first description of PDF in the linden bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, an organism with a robust photoperiodic response. We characterize in detail the circadian and photoperiodic phenotype of several CRISPR/Cas9-generated pdf mutants, including three null mutants and two mutants with modified PDF. Our results show that PDF acts downstream of CRY and plays a key role as a circadian clock output. Surprisingly, in contrast to the diurnal activity of wild-type bugs, pdf null mutants show predominantly nocturnal activity, which is caused by the clock-independent direct response to the light/dark switch. Moreover, we show that together with CRY, PDF is involved in the photoperiod-dependent diapause induction, however, its lack does not disrupt the photoperiodic response completely, suggesting the presence of additional clock-regulated factors. Taken together our data provide new insight into the role of PDF in the insect’s circadian and photoperiodic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kotwica-Rolinska
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- *Correspondence: Joanna Kotwica-Rolinska,
| | - Milena Damulewicz
- Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lenka Chodakova
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Kristofova
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - David Dolezel
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Des Marteaux L, Xi J, Mano G, Goto SG. Circadian clock outputs regulating insect photoperiodism: A potential role for glutamate transporter. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 589:100-106. [PMID: 34902745 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Many temperate ectotherms survive winter by entering diapause - a state of developmental (or reproductive) suppression or arrest - in response to short autumnal day lengths. Day lengths are assessed by the circadian clock, the biological time-keeping system that governs biological rhythms with a period of approximately 24 h. However, clock output molecules controlling this photoperiodic response are largely unknown for many insects. To identify these molecules in Hemiptera, we performed RNAi knockdowns of several candidate genes in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris to determine whether their silencing affects photoperiodic regulation of ovarian development (reproductive diapause). Knockdown of diuretic hormone 31, short neuropeptide F, neuropeptide F, ion transport peptide, neuropeptide-like precursor 1, and choline acetyltransferase had no effect on ovarian development and were therefore ruled out as regulators of the photoperiodic response. However, knockdown of vesicular glutamate transporter promoted ovarian development under diapause-inducing short days, and this is the first report of the functional involvement of glutamate signalling in insect photoperiodism. Improved knockdown of this transporter (or receptor) and RNAi of other genes involved in glutamate signal transduction is required to verify its role as an output of the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jili Xi
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Genyu Mano
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Shin G Goto
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
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11
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Doria HB, Caliendo C, Gerber S, Pfenninger M. Photoperiod is an important seasonal selection factor in Chironomus riparius (Diptera: Chironomidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Most organisms respond and can adapt to photoperiodic changes. This affects measurable end points like developmental time, survival and fertility. For ectotherms like Chironomus riparius, temperature is the most studied environmental cue regulating their life cycle, whereas photoperiodic influence is neglected. However, the developmental speed between summer and winter seasons of a field population could not be explained solely by temperature variations. Therefore, to have a comprehensive view on how photoperiods influence chironomid’s life cycle, we investigated if it plays a role in their development and if it acts as an important selective pressure on developmental time speed. To this end, first emerged C. riparius were artificially selected for seven generations. Pre-selected and unselected organisms could develop and breed independently under three light regimes: constant light (24:0 L:D), long days (16:8 L:D) and short days (8:16 L:D). Adult emergence, mean and median emergence time and fertility were integrated into the population growth rate to compare fitness. Our findings show that although developmental time is extended under short days, this same condition may exert a selective pressure towards a shorter development. Moreover, by also using photoperiodic clues to anticipate environmental changes, chironomids can potentially adapt to alterations in climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halina Binde Doria
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Straße, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Cosima Caliendo
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudinger Weg, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudinger Weg, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Pfenninger
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Straße, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Molecular and Organismic Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg, Mainz, Germany
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Ikeda K, Daimon T, Shiomi K, Udaka H, Numata H. Involvement of the Clock Gene Period in the Photoperiodism of the Silkmoth Bombyx mori. Zoolog Sci 2021; 38:523-530. [PMID: 34854284 DOI: 10.2108/zs210081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We established a knockout strain of a clock gene, period (per), by using TALEN in a bivoltine strain (Kosetsu) of Bombyx mori (Insecta, Lepidoptera), and examined the effect of per knockout on the circadian rhythm and photoperiodism. The generated per knockout allele was considered to be null, because a new stop codon was present in the insertion allele. The wild type (Kosetsu) showed clear circadian rhythms in eclosion and hatching, whereas the per knockout strain showed arrhythmic eclosion and hatching under constant darkness. In this strain, moreover, temporal expression changes of clock genes per and timeless were disrupted. The wild type showed a clear long-day response for induction of embryonic diapause: when larvae were reared under long-day and short-day conditions at 25°C, adults produced nondiapause and diapause eggs, respectively. However, the per knockout strain lost the sensitivity to photoperiod and laid nondiapause eggs under both conditions. We conclude that per plays an important role both in circadian rhythms and in photoperiodism of B. mori, indicating the involvement of the circadian clock consisting of per in the photoperiodism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kento Ikeda
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takaaki Daimon
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kunihiro Shiomi
- Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda 386-8567, Japan
| | - Hiroko Udaka
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hideharu Numata
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan,
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Ahmadi F, Mikani A, Moharramipour S. Induction of diapause by clock proteins period and timeless via changes in PTTH and ecdysteroid titer in the sugar beet moth, Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 107:e21790. [PMID: 33860953 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21790] [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: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The sugar beet moth, Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Boyd), one of the most severe sugar beet pests, causes quantitative and qualitative yield losses late in the autumn. Previously, it was shown that low temperature and short-day photoperiod together cause diapause induction in pupae. Here, the interaction of the critical elements of the diapause induction, including the period (PER), timeless (TIM), prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), and ecdysteroid titer, were investigated. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the number of period immunoreactivity (PER-ir) and TIM-ir cells in nondiapause pupae (NDP) was lower than in the brain of the diapause pupae (DP). Moreover, the number of PER-ir and TIM-ir cells in the protocerebrum and optic lobe (OL) of NDP was lower than DP. Moreover, lower PTTH content in the brain and hemolymph of DP was confirmed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Enzyme immunoassay showed a lower 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) titer in the hemolymph of the DP compared with the NDP. Within a short-day condition, PER and TIM titers increased in the brain leading to decreasing PTTH titers in the brain and hemolymph that caused decreasing 20E titer in the hemolymph, leading to the induction of diapause. This study suggests that PER and TIM could be one of the brain factors that play an essential role in regulating diapause in S. ocellatella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Mikani
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeid Moharramipour
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Mapping PERIOD-immunoreactive cells with neurons relevant to photoperiodic response in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 385:571-583. [PMID: 33954831 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03451-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Circadian clock genes are involved in photoperiodic responses in many insects; however, there is a lack of understanding in the neural pathways that process photoperiodic information involving circadian clock cells. PERIOD-immunohistochemistry was conducted in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris to localise clock cells and their anatomical relationship with other brain neurons necessary for the photoperiodic response. PERIOD-immunoreactive cells were found in the six brain regions. In the optic lobe, two cell groups called lateral neuron lateral (LNl) and lateral neuron medial (LNm), were labelled anterior medial to the medulla and lobula, respectively. In the protocerebrum of the central brain, dorsal neuron (Prd), posterior neuron (Prp), and antennal lobe posterior neuron (pAL) were found. In the deutocerebrum, antennal lobe local neurons (ALln) were detected. Double immunohistochemistry revealed that PERIOD and serotonin were not co-localised. Furthermore, pigment-dispersing factor-immunoreactive neurons and anterior lobula neurons essential for R. pedestris photoperiodic response were not PERIOD immunopositive. LNl cells were located in the vicinity of the pigment-dispersing factor immunoreactive cells at the anterior base of the medulla. LNm cells were located close to the somata of the anterior lobula neurons. Fibres from the anterior lobula neurons and pigment-dispersing factor-immunoreactive neurons had contacts at the anterior base of the medulla. It is suggested that LNl cells work as clock cells involved in the photoperiodic response and the region at the medulla anterior base serves as a hub to receive photic and clock information relevant to the photoperiodic clock in R. pedestris.
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15
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Barberà M, Escrivá L, Collantes-Alegre JM, Meca G, Rosato E, Martínez-Torres D. Melatonin in the seasonal response of the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 27:224-238. [PMID: 30422395 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aphids display life cycles largely determined by the photoperiod. During the warm long-day seasons, most aphid species reproduce by viviparous parthenogenesis. The shortening of the photoperiod in autumn induces a switch to sexual reproduction. Males and sexual females mate to produce overwintering resistant eggs. In addition to this full life cycle (holocycle), there are anholocyclic lineages that do not respond to changes in photoperiod and reproduce continuously by parthenogenesis. The molecular or hormonal events that trigger the seasonal response (i.e., induction of the sexual phenotypes) are still unknown. Although circadian synthesis of melatonin is known to play a key role in vertebrate photoperiodism, the involvement of the circadian clock and/or of the hormone melatonin in insect seasonal responses is not so well established. Here we show that melatonin levels in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum are significantly higher in holocyclic aphids reared under short days than under long days, while no differences were found between anholocyclic aphids under the same conditions. We also found that melatonin is localized in the aphid suboesophageal ganglion (SOG) and in the thoracic ganglionic mass (TGM). In analogy to vertebrates, insect-type arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferases (i-AANATs) are thought to play a key role in melatonin synthesis. We measured the expression of four i-AANAT genes identified in A. pisum and localized two of them in situ in the insect central nervous systems (CNS). Levels of expression of these genes were compatible with the quantities of melatonin observed. Moreover, like melatonin, expression of these genes was found in the SOG and the TGM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Barberà
- Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes & Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Cientific Universitat de Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán n° 2, 46980, Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Laura Escrivá
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Jorge Mariano Collantes-Alegre
- Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes & Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Cientific Universitat de Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán n° 2, 46980, Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Meca
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Ezio Rosato
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - David Martínez-Torres
- Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes & Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Cientific Universitat de Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán n° 2, 46980, Paterna, València, Spain
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Photoperiod and temperature separately regulate nymphal development through JH and insulin/TOR signaling pathways in an insect. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:5525-5531. [PMID: 32098850 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1922747117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects living in the temperate zone enter a physiological state of arrested or slowed development to overcome an adverse season, such as winter. Developmental arrest, called diapause, occurs at a species-specific developmental stage, and embryonic and pupal diapauses have been extensively studied in mostly holometabolous insects. Some other insects overwinter in the nymphal stage with slow growth for which the mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that this nymphal period of slow growth is regulated by temperature and photoperiod through separate pathways in the cricket Modicogryllus siamensis The former regulates the growth rate, at least in part, through the insulin / target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway. Lower temperature down-regulates the expression of insulin -like peptide (Ms'Ilp) and Target of rapamycin (Ms'Tor) genes to slow down the growth rate without affecting the number of molts. The latter regulates the number of molts independent of temperature. Short days increase the number of molts through activation of the juvenile hormone (JH) pathway and down-regulation of myoglianin (Ms'myo), a member of the TGFβ family, which induces adult metamorphosis. In contrast, long days regulate Ms'myo expression to increase during the fifth to sixth instar to initiate adult metamorphosis. When Ms'myo expression is suppressed, juvenile hormone O-methyl transferase (Ms'jhamt) was up-regulated and increased molts to prolong the nymphal period even under long-day conditions. The present findings suggested that the photoperiod regulated Ms'myo, and the JH signaling pathway and the temperature-controlled insulin/TOR pathway cooperated to regulate nymphal development for overwintering to achieve seasonal adaptation of the life cycle in M. siamensis.
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Lu J, Wang H, Zhang R, Wan Z, Gao H, Cai J, Cheng Y, Pu D, Lin T, Fan C, Sun Y. Effects of Photoperiod on Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice. Dig Dis Sci 2020; 65:178-188. [PMID: 31376085 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-019-05749-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Acetaminophen (APAP) is a clinically popular analgesic and antipyretic drug, but excessive APAP can cause fatal hepatotoxicity. Many factors affect the degree of APAP-induced liver injury. This study aimed to investigate how circadian rhythm affects the development of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and to clarify the roles of photoperiod and dietary rhythm on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. METHODS APAP-induced hepatotoxicity models were established by intraperitoneal injection of APAP (400 mg/kg) to mice. The mice were then divided into three treatment groups: normal diet, reversed diet, and reversed photoperiod. RESULTS More severe liver injury was observed at zeitgeber time 12 (ZT12) than at zeitgeber time 0 (ZT0) in all treatment groups, suggesting that photoperiod played a critical role in APAP-induced liver injury. We observed a change in the expression of the circadian gene Per2, which may be responsible for regulation of liver injury by photoperiod. Our results showed negligible change in Per2 expression with diet reversion, whereas Cry1, Cry2, and Dbp expressions were more highly affected by diet reversion than was Per2 expression. Downstream effects including liver enzyme expression, GSH level, and inflammation factors were also examined to identify the mechanism of liver injury. The results indicated that the circadian gene Per2 participated in APAP biometabolism by regulating the expression of Cyp2e1, which may explain the more severe hepatotoxicity at ZT12 than at ZT0. CONCLUSION APAP-induced hepatotoxicity can be mediated by photoperiod through the circadian gene Per2, suggesting that medicines containing APAP should be administered not only with food but also according to the appropriate photoperiod.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihong Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rumeng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhikang Wan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hang Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Cai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yujia Cheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dong Pu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tengfei Lin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chenyu Fan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
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18
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Dalla Benetta E, Beukeboom LW, van de Zande L. Adaptive Differences in Circadian Clock Gene Expression Patterns and Photoperiodic Diapause Induction in Nasonia vitripennis. Am Nat 2019; 193:881-896. [DOI: 10.1086/703159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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19
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Hu LY, Wang MZ, Ouyang JL, Li PF, Loor JJ. Rapid Communication: Period2 gene silencing increases the synthesis of αs-casein protein in bovine mammary epithelial cells. J Anim Sci 2018; 95:4510-4513. [PMID: 29108063 DOI: 10.2527/jas2017.1938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
(), a core clock gene, encodes a circadian rhythm protein which has been shown to control mammary metabolism in rodents. Whether regulates milk component synthesis such as α-casein protein in bovine mammary cells is unknown. Thus, we used gene silencing technology to determine if silencing could affect α-casein synthesis and cell growth in cultured primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC). The BMEC were established by enzymatic digestion of mammary tissue from mid-lactation cows. A transient-transfection technique was used to insert a small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotide specific for to inhibit transcription. Control and siRNA-transfected cells were cultured for 48 h. qRT-PCR and ELISA analysis showed that silencing enhanced the synthesis of 2 kinds of α-casein ( < 0.05) through upregulating the mRNA level of and ( < 0.01). Furthermore, the 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) results demonstrated that cell proliferation was not affected ( > 0.05). These data led us to hypothesize that PER2 protein may potentially play an important role in the control of milk protein synthesis and, hence, represents a target that can be used to regulate protein synthesis rate during lactation.
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20
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The effect of Wolbachia on diapause, fecundity, and clock gene expression in Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Dev Genes Evol 2017; 227:401-410. [PMID: 29188381 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-017-0597-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The short day lengths of late summer in moderate regions are used to induce diapause in various insects. Many studies have shown the maternal effect of photoperiod on diapause induction of Trichogramma wasps, but there is no study to show the relationship between photoperiodic regimes and clock genes in these useful biological control agents. Here, we investigated the role of photoperiods on diapause, fecundity, and clock gene expression (clk, cyc, cry2, per, and timeout) in asexual and sexual Trichogramma brassicae as a model insect to find any differences between two strains. Asexual strain was infected by Wolbachia, an endosymbiont bacterium. The diapause percentage was significantly higher under short days (8 h in sexual and 12 h in the asexual T. brassicae), although the diapause percentage of the sexual strain was significantly higher than the asexual one in all the photoperiods. The ANOVA revealed no significant changes between different photoperiods in the clock gene expression in the sexual strain but significant photoperiodic changes in clk, cyc, and timeout in the asexual strain. Our results showed that the mRNA levels of clock genes of asexual T. brassicae were significantly lower than those of sexual strain. The fecundity was significantly higher in the asexual strain. These results suggest that Wolbachia infection makes disturbance on the clock gene expression which consequently reduces the percentage of diapause but increases the fecundity in asexual T. brassicae.
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21
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Yamamoto M, Shiga S, Goto SG. Distribution of PERIOD-immunoreactive neurons and temporal change of the immunoreactivity under long-day and short-day conditions in the larval brain of the flesh fly Sarcophaga similis. Chronobiol Int 2017; 34:819-825. [PMID: 28414547 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2017.1310736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The flesh fly Sarcophaga similis show a clear photoperiodic response; they develop into adults under long days, whereas they arrest their development at the pupal stage under short days. Although the involvement of a circadian clock in photoperiodic time measurement is suggested in this species, the anatomical location of the clock neurons responsible for the time measurement has been unknown. We detected two PERIOD-immunoreactive cell clusters in the larval brain; one cluster was located at the dorsoanterior region and the other at the medial region. We further investigated their temporal changes in PERIOD-immunoreactivity and compared their patterns under different photoperiods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizuho Yamamoto
- a Graduate School of Science , Osaka City University , Osaka , Japan
| | - Sakiko Shiga
- a Graduate School of Science , Osaka City University , Osaka , Japan
| | - Shin G Goto
- a Graduate School of Science , Osaka City University , Osaka , Japan
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22
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Barberà M, Collantes-Alegre JM, Martínez-Torres D. Characterisation, analysis of expression and localisation of circadian clock genes from the perspective of photoperiodism in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 83:54-67. [PMID: 28235563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Aphids are typical photoperiodic insects that switch from viviparous parthenogenetic reproduction typical of long day seasons to oviparous sexual reproduction triggered by the shortening of photoperiod in autumn yielding an overwintering egg in which an embryonic diapause takes place. While the involvement of the circadian clock genes in photoperiodism in mammals is well established, there is still some controversy on their participation in insects. The availability of the genome of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum places this species as an excellent model to investigate the involvement of the circadian system in the aphid seasonal response. In the present report, we have advanced in the characterisation of the circadian clock genes and showed that these genes display extensive alternative splicing. Moreover, the expression of circadian clock genes, analysed at different moments of the day, showed a robust cycling of central clock genes period and timeless. Furthermore, the rhythmic expression of these genes was shown to be rapidly dampened under DD (continuous darkness conditions), thus supporting the model of a seasonal response based on a heavily dampened circadian oscillator. Additionally, increased expression of some of the circadian clock genes under short-day conditions suggest their involvement in the induction of the aphid seasonal response. Finally, in situ localisation of transcripts of genes period and timeless in the aphid brain revealed the site of clock neurons for the first time in aphids. Two groups of clock cells were identified: the Dorsal Neurons (DN) and the Lateral Neurons (LN), both in the protocerebrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Barberà
- Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes & Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Cientific Universitat de Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán n° 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Jorge Mariano Collantes-Alegre
- Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes & Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Cientific Universitat de Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán n° 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain
| | - David Martínez-Torres
- Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes & Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Parc Cientific Universitat de Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán n° 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain.
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Xi J, Toyoda I, Shiga S. Afferent neural pathways from the photoperiodic receptor in the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 368:469-485. [PMID: 28144785 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-016-2565-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Adult diapause in the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris, is controlled by the photoperiod, which is received by retinal cells in the central region of the compound eyes. To resolve the afferent neural pathways involved in the photoperiodic response, we examine fibre projections from the photoperiodic receptors to the brain and investigate the roles of the posterior optic tract (POT) in the photoperiodic response. Reduced-silver impregnation and synapsin immunolabelling revealed that the medulla was divided into nine strata: the outer layer comprises 4 strata, the inner layer comprises 4 strata and a serpentine layer separates the inner and outer layers. Biotin injection revealed that retinal fibres from the central region of the compound eye terminated in either the central part of the lamina or the central part of the medulla 3rd or 4th layer. Biotin injection into the central part of the medulla labelled 5 distinct afferent pathways: two terminated in a region of ipsilateral anterior protocerebrum, while the other three had contralateral projections. One pathway ran through the POT and connected to the bilateral medulla serpentine layers. When the POT was surgically severed, diapause incidence under short-day conditions was significantly reduced compared to that observed following a sham operation. However, an incision at a posterior part of the medulla and lobula boundary, as a control experiment, did not affect the photoperiodic response. These results suggest that photoperiodic signals from the central region of the compound eye are transferred to neurons with fibres running in the POT for photoperiodic response in R. pedestris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jili Xi
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Ikuyo Toyoda
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan
| | - Sakiko Shiga
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan. .,Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
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Kontogiannatos D, Gkouvitsas T, Kourti A. The expression patterns of the clock genes period and timeless are affected by photoperiod in the Mediterranean corn stalk borer, Sesamia nonagrioides. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 94:e21366. [PMID: 28000948 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To obtain clues to the link between the molecular mechanism of circadian and photoperiod clocks, we cloned two circadian clock genes, period (per) and timeless (tim) from the moth Sesamia nonagrioides, which undergoes facultative diapause controlled by photoperiod. Sequence analysis revealed a high degree of conservation among the compared insects fοr both genes. We also investigated the expression patterns of per and tim in brains of larvae growing under 16L:8D (long days), constant darkness (DD) and 10L:14D (short days) conditions by qPCR assays. The results showed that mRNA accumulations encoding both genes exhibited diel oscillations under different photoperiods. The oscillation of per and tim mRNA, under short-day photoperiod differed from long-day. The difference between long-day and short-day conditions in the pattern of mRNA levels of per and tim appears to distinguish photoperiodic conditions clearly and both genes were influenced by photoperiod in different ways. We infer that not all photoperiodic clocks of insects interact with circadian clocks in the same fashion. Our results suggest that transcriptional regulations of the both clock genes act in the diapause programing in S. nonagrioides. The expression patterns of these genes are affected by photoperiod but runs with 24 h by entrainment to daily environmental cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Kontogiannatos
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Food, Biotechnology and Development, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theodoros Gkouvitsas
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Food, Biotechnology and Development, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Anna Kourti
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Food, Biotechnology and Development, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Vaze KM, Helfrich‐Förster C. Drosophila ezoana uses an hour-glass or highly damped circadian clock for measuring night length and inducing diapause. PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 41:378-389. [PMID: 27867253 PMCID: PMC5108423 DOI: 10.1111/phen.12165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Insects inhabiting the temperate zones measure seasonal changes in day or night length to enter the overwintering diapause. Diapause induction occurs after the duration of the night exceeds a critical night length (CNL). Our understanding of the time measurement mechanisms is continuously evolving subsequent to Bünning's proposal that circadian systems play the clock role in photoperiodic time measurement (Bünning, 1936). Initially, the photoperiodic clocks were considered to be either based on circadian oscillators or on simple hour-glasses, depending on 'positive' or 'negative' responses in Nanda-Hamner and Bünsow experiments (Nanda & Hammer, 1958; Bünsow, 1960). However, there are also species whose responses can be regarded as neither 'positive', nor as 'negative', such as the Northern Drosophila species Drosophila ezoana, which is investigated in the present study. In addition, modelling efforts show that the 'positive' and 'negative' Nanda-Hamner responses can also be provoked by circadian oscillators that are damped to different degrees: animals with highly sustained circadian clocks will respond 'positive' and those with heavily damped circadian clocks will respond 'negative'. In the present study, an experimental assay is proposed that characterizes the photoperiodic oscillators by determining the effects of non-24-h light/dark cycles (T-cycles) on critical night length. It is predicted that there is (i) a change in the critical night length as a function of T-cycle period in sustained-oscillator-based clocks and (ii) a fixed night-length measurement (i.e. no change in critical night length) in damped-oscillator-based clocks. Drosophila ezoana flies show a critical night length of approximately 7 h irrespective of T-cycle period, suggesting a damped-oscillator-based photoperiodic clock. The conclusion is strengthened by activity recordings revealing that the activity rhythm of D. ezoana flies also dampens in constant darkness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koustubh M. Vaze
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor‐Boveri Institute, BiocenterUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
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Omura S, Numata H, Goto SG. Circadian clock regulates photoperiodic responses governed by distinct output pathways in the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2016.1212515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shigeki Omura
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Shin G. Goto
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
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Goto SG. Physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying photoperiodism in the spider mite: comparisons with insects. J Comp Physiol B 2016; 186:969-984. [PMID: 27424162 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-016-1018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Photoperiodism is an adaptive, seasonal timing system that enables organisms to coordinate their development and physiology to annual changes in the environment using day length (photoperiod) as a cue. This review summarizes our knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying photoperiodism in spider mites. In particular, the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is focussed, which has long been used as a model species for studying photoperiodism. Photoperiodism is established by several physiological modules, such as the photoreceptor, photoperiodic time measurement system, counter system, and endocrine effector. It is now clear that retinal photoreception through the ocelli is indispensable for the function of photoperiodism, at least in T. urticae. Visual pigment, which comprised opsin protein and a vitamin A-based pigment, is involved in photoreception. The physiological basis of the photoperiodic time measurement system is still under debate, and we have controversial evidence for the hourglass-based time measurement and the oscillator-based time measurement. Less attention has been centred on the counter system in insects and mites. Mite reproduction is possibly regulated by the ecdysteroid, ponasterone A. Prior physiological knowledge has laid the foundation for the next steps essential for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms driving photoperiodism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin G Goto
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan.
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Hamada Y, Tokuoka A, Bando T, Ohuchi H, Tomioka K. Enhancer of zeste plays an important role in photoperiodic modulation of locomotor rhythm in the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2016; 2:5. [PMID: 26998345 PMCID: PMC4799529 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-016-0042-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Insects show daily behavioral rhythms controlled by an endogenous oscillator, the circadian clock. The rhythm synchronizes to daily light-dark cycles (LD) and changes waveform in association with seasonal change in photoperiod. RESULTS To explore the molecular basis of the photoperiod-dependent changes in circadian locomotor rhythm, we investigated the role of a chromatin modifier, Enhancer of zeste (Gb'E(z)), in the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. Under a 12 h:12 h LD (LD 12:12), Gb'E(z) was constitutively expressed in the optic lobe, the site of the biological clock; active phase (α) and rest phase (ρ) were approximately 12 h in duration, and α/ρ ratio was approximately 1.0. When transferred to LD 20:4, the α/ρ ratio decreased significantly, and the Gb'E(z) expression level was significantly reduced at 6 h and 10 h after light-on, as was reflected in the reduced level of trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27. This change was associated with change in clock gene expression profiles. The photoperiod-dependent changes in α/ρ ratio and clock gene expression profiles were prevented by knocking down Gb'E(z) by RNAi. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that histone modification by Gb'E(z) is involved in photoperiodic modulation of the G. bimaculatus circadian rhythm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimasa Hamada
- />Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan
| | - Atsushi Tokuoka
- />Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan
| | - Tetsuya Bando
- />Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558 Japan
| | - Hideyo Ohuchi
- />Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558 Japan
| | - Kenji Tomioka
- />Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan
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Wang M, Jing Y, Hu L, Gao J, Ding L, Zhang J. Recent advances on the circadian gene PER2 and metabolic rhythm of lactation of mammary gland. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 1:257-261. [PMID: 29767003 PMCID: PMC5940984 DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Due to regulation by circadian rhythm, the lactation of the mammary gland has rhythmicity. As one of prominent members of period protein family which regulates biological rhythms, PER2 plays an important role in developing the milk duct and maintaining the polarity and the morphology of the mammary epithelium; at the same time, it is also closely related with the metabolism of milk protein and milk fat. This paper summarized recent researches on PER2 gene and related researches on mammary gland development and metabolism to provide some information for the studies of the theory and technology on physiological functions of the mammary gland and milk quality control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhi Wang
- College of Animal and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yujia Jing
- College of Animal and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Liangyu Hu
- College of Animal and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jian Gao
- College of Animal and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Luyang Ding
- College of Animal and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- College of Animal and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.,Yangda Kang Yuan Dairy Co., Ltd, Yangzhou 225004, China
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Numata H, Miyazaki Y, Ikeno T. Common features in diverse insect clocks. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2015; 1:10. [PMID: 26605055 PMCID: PMC4604113 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-014-0003-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This review describes common features among diverse biological clocks in insects, including circadian, circatidal, circalunar/circasemilunar, and circannual clocks. These clocks control various behaviors, physiological functions, and developmental events, enabling adaptation to periodic environmental changes. Circadian clocks also function in time-compensation for celestial navigation and in the measurement of day or night length for photoperiodism. Phase response curves for such clocks reported thus far exhibit close similarities; specifically, the circannual clock in Anthrenus verbasci shows striking similarity to circadian clocks in its phase response. It is suggested that diverse biological clocks share physiological properties in their phase responses irrespective of period length. Molecular and physiological mechanisms are best understood for the optic-lobe and mid-brain circadian clocks, although there is no direct evidence that these clocks are involved in rhythmic phenomena other than circadian rhythms in daily events. Circadian clocks have also been localized in peripheral tissues, and research on their role in various rhythmic phenomena has been started. Although clock genes have been identified as controllers of circadian rhythms in daily events, some of these genes have also been shown to be involved in photoperiodism and possibly in time-compensated celestial navigation. In contrast, there is no experimental evidence indicating that any known clock gene is involved in biological clocks other than circadian clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideharu Numata
- />Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502 Japan
| | - Yosuke Miyazaki
- />Graduate School of Education, Ashiya University, Ashiya, 659-8511 Japan
| | - Tomoko Ikeno
- />Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
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Bertossa RC, van de Zande L, Beukeboom LW, Beersma DGM. Phylogeny and oscillating expression of period and cryptochrome in short and long photoperiods suggest a conserved function in Nasonia vitripennis. Chronobiol Int 2014; 31:749-60. [PMID: 24758403 PMCID: PMC4059186 DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2014.880451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Photoperiodism, the ability to respond to seasonal varying day length with suitable life history changes, is a common trait in organisms that live in temperate regions. In most studied organisms, the circadian system appears to be the basis for photoperiodic time measurement. In insects this is still controversial: while some data indicate that the circadian system is causally involved in photoperiodism, others suggest that it may have a marginal or indirect role. Resonance experiments in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis have revealed a circadian component in photoperiodic time measurement compatible with a mechanism of internal coincidence where a two components oscillator system obtains information from dawn and dusk, respectively. The identity of this oscillator (or oscillators) is still unclear but possible candidates are the oscillating molecules of the auto-regulatory feedback loops in the heart of the circadian system. Here, we show for the first time the circadian oscillation of period and cryptochrome mRNAs in the heads of Nasonia females kept under short and long photoperiods. Period and cryptochrome mRNA levels display a synchronous oscillation in all conditions tested and persist, albeit with reduced amplitude, during the first day in constant light as well as constant darkness. More importantly, the signal for the period and cryptochrome oscillations is set by the light-on signal. These results, together with phylogenetic analyses, indicate that Nasonia’s period and cryptochrome display characteristics of homologous genes in other hymenopteran species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinaldo C Bertossa
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands
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Mohamed AAM, Wang Q, Bembenek J, Ichihara N, Hiragaki S, Suzuki T, Takeda M. N-acetyltransferase (nat) is a critical conjunct of photoperiodism between the circadian system and endocrine axis in Antheraea pernyi. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92680. [PMID: 24667367 PMCID: PMC3965458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its discovery in 1923, the biology of photoperiodism remains a mystery in many ways. We sought the link connecting the circadian system to an endocrine switch, using Antheraea pernyi. PER-, CLK- and CYC-ir were co-expressed in two pairs of dorsolateral neurons of the protocerebrum, suggesting that these are the circadian neurons that also express melatonin-, NAT- and HIOMT-ir. The results suggest that a melatonin pathway is present in the circadian neurons. Melatonin receptor (MT2 or MEL-1B-R)-ir in PTTH-ir neurons juxtaposing clock neurons suggests that melatonin gates PTTH release. RIA showed a melatonin rhythm with a peak four hours after lights off in adult brain both under LD16:8 (LD) and LD12:12 (SD), and both the peak and the baseline levels were higher under LD than SD, suggesting a photoperiodic influence. When pupae in diapause were exposed to 10 cycles of LD, or stored at 4 °C for 4 months under constant darkness, an increase of NAT activity was observed when PTTH released ecdysone. DNA sequence upstream of nat contained E-boxes to which CYC/CLK could bind, and nat transcription was turned off by clk or cyc dsRNA. dsRNA(NAT) caused dysfunction of photoperiodism. dsRNA(PER) upregulated nat transcription as anticipated, based on findings in the Drosophila melanogaster circadian system. Transcription of nat, cyc and clk peaked at ZT12. RIA showed that dsRNA(NAT) decreased melatonin while dsRNA(PER) increased melatonin. Thus nat, a clock controlled gene, is the critical link between the circadian clock and endocrine switch. MT-binding may release PTTH, resulting in termination of diapause. This study thus examined all of the basic functional units from the clock: a photoperiodic counter as an accumulator of mRNA(NAT), to endocrine switch for photoperiodism in A. pernyi showing this system is self-complete without additional device especially for photoperiodism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qiushi Wang
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Jadwiga Bembenek
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Ichihara
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Susumu Hiragaki
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takeshi Suzuki
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Makio Takeda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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Ikeno T, Numata H, Goto SG, Shiga S. Involvement of the brain region containing pigment-dispersing factor-immunoreactive neurons in the photoperiodic response of the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 217:453-62. [PMID: 24198258 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.091801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The concept of insect photoperiodism based on a circadian clock has been supported by many studies demonstrating that the behavioural circadian rhythm and the photoperiodic response are driven by the same circadian clock genes. However, the neuronal mechanism of the circadian clock underlying photoperiodism is poorly understood. To examine whether circadian rhythm and photoperiodism share a neuronal mechanism, we focused on the neurons that express neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) in the bean bug, Riptortus pedestris. PDF has been identified as an important regulator of the insect circadian rhythm and is expressed in circadian clock neurons of various insect species. In R. pedestris, PDF immunoreactivity was detected in some clusters of cells and their fibres in the optic lobe and the protocerebrum. cDNA encoding a PDF precursor protein was highly conserved between R. pedestris and many other insects. Differences between day and night were not observed in the immunolabelling intensity in cell bodies of PDF-immunoreactive neurons and pdf mRNA expression levels in the head. Surgical removal of the region containing PDF-immunoreactive cell bodies at the medulla disrupted the photoperiodic regulation of diapause. However, gene suppression of pdf by RNA interference did not affect the photoperiodic response. These results suggest that the region containing PDF-immunoreactive somata is important for the photoperiodic response in R. pedestris, but pdf mRNA expression is probably not required for the response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Ikeno
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Shiga S. Photoperiodic plasticity in circadian clock neurons in insects. Front Physiol 2013; 4:69. [PMID: 23986711 PMCID: PMC3750939 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Since Bünning's observation of circadian rhythms and photoperiodism in the runner bean Phaseolus multiflorus in 1936, many studies have shown that photoperiodism is based on the circadian clock system. In insects, involvement of circadian clock genes or neurons has been recently shown in the photoperiodic control of developmental arrests, diapause. Photoperiod sets peaks of period (per) or timeless (tim) mRNA abundance at lights-off in Sarcophaga crassipalpis, Chymomyza costata and Protophormia terraenovae. Abundance of per and Clock mRNA changes by photoperiod in Pyrrhocoris apterus. Subcellular Per distribution in circadian clock neurons changes with photoperiod in P. terraenovae. Although photoperiodism is not known in Leucophaea maderae, under longer day length, more stomata and longer commissural fibers of circadian clock neurons have been found. These plastic changes in the circadian clock neurons could be an important constituent for photoperiodic clock mechanisms to integrate repetitive photoperiodic information and produce different outputs based on day length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakiko Shiga
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Osaka, Japan
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Uryu O, Kamae Y, Tomioka K, Yoshii T. Long-term effect of systemic RNA interference on circadian clock genes in hemimetabolous insects. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:494-499. [PMID: 23458340 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) strategy, which enables gene-specific knock-down of transcripts, has been spread across a wide area of insect studies for investigating gene function without regard to model and non-model insects. This technique is of particular benefit to promote molecular studies on non-model insects. However, the optimal conditions for RNAi are still not well understood because of its variable efficiency depending on the species, target genes, and experimental conditions. To apply RNAi technique to long-running experiments such as chronobiological studies, the effects of RNAi have to persist throughout the experiment. In this study, we attempted to determine the optimal concentration of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for systemic RNAi and its effective period in two different insect species, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus and the firebrat Thermobia domestica. In both species, higher concentrations of dsRNA principally yielded a more efficient knock-down of mRNA levels of tested clock genes, although the effect depended on the gene and the species. Surprisingly, the effect of the RNAi reached its maximum effect 1-2 weeks and 1 month after the injection of dsRNA in the crickets and the firebrats, respectively, suggesting a slow but long-term effect of RNAi. Our study provides fundamental information for utilizing RNAi technique in any long-running experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outa Uryu
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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Shiga S. Plausible neural circuitry for photoperiodism in the blow fly, Protophormia terraenovae. ACTA BIOLOGICA HUNGARICA 2012; 63 Suppl 2:36-47. [PMID: 22776471 DOI: 10.1556/abiol.63.2012.suppl.2.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Photoperiodism is important for seasonal adaptation in insects. Although photoreceptors and endocrine outputs for photoperiodism have been investigated, its neural mechanisms are less studied. This paper proposes three groups of neurons involved in photoperiodic control of adult diapause in the blow fly, Protophormia terraenovae. Ablation experiments showed that pars lateralis neurons in the dorsal protocerebrum are important for diapause induction under short-days and low temperature, the pars intercerebralis neurons for ovarian development under long-days and high temperature. When regions containing pigment-dispersing factor and PERIOD immunoreactive s-LNvs were bilaterally ablated, flies became arrhythmic in locomotor activities, and did not discriminate photoperiod for diapause induction, suggesting that s-LNvs are important for circadian rhythm and photoperiodism. In the s-LNvs, PERIOD-immunoreactivity in the nucleus was highest at 12 h after lights-off and lowest 12 h after lights-on regardless of photoperiod. Thus, as in D. melanogaster, it is possible that PERIOD nuclear translocation entrains to photoperiod, and day-length information seems to be encoded in s-LNvs. Immunoelectronmicroscopy revealed synaptic connections from s-LNvs to the pars lateralis neurons, suggesting that circadian clock neurons, s-LNvs, are involved in time measurements and may synaptically signal day-length information to the pars lateralis neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakiko Shiga
- Osaka City University Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585 Japan
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Tobback J, Boerjan B, Vandersmissen HP, Huybrechts R. Male reproduction is affected by RNA interference of period and timeless in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 42:109-115. [PMID: 22154754 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2011] [Revised: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In all living organisms, behavior, metabolism and physiology are under the regulation of a circadian clock. The molecular machinery of this clock has been conserved throughout the animal kingdom. Besides regulating the circadian timing of a variety of processes through a central oscillating mechanism in the brain, these circadian clock genes were found to have a function in peripheral tissues in different insects. Here, we provide evidence that the circadian clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim) have a role in the male locust reproduction. A knockdown of either of the two genes has no effect on male sexual maturation or behavior, but progeny output in their untreated female copulation partners is affected. Indeed, the fertilization rates of the eggs are lower for females with a per or tim RNAi copulation partner as compared to the eggs deposited by females that mated with a control male. As the sperm content of the seminal vesicles is higher in per or tim knockdown males, we suggest that this phenotype could be caused by a disturbance of the circadian regulated sperm transfer in the male reproductive organs, or an insufficient maturation of the sperm after release from the testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Tobback
- Research Group of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, Department of Biology, K.U.Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Ikeno T, Numata H, Goto SG. Circadian clock genes period and cycle regulate photoperiodic diapause in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris males. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:935-938. [PMID: 21550348 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2011] [Revised: 04/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The photoperiodic response is crucial for many insects to adapt to seasonal changes in temperate regions. It was recently shown that the circadian clock genes period (per) and cycle (cyc) are involved in the photoperiodic regulation of reproductive diapause in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris females. Here, we investigated the involvement of per and cyc both in the circadian rhythm of cuticle deposition and in the photoperiodic diapause of R. pedestris males using RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi of per and cyc disrupted the cuticle deposition rhythm and resulted in distinct cuticle layers. RNAi of per induced development of the male reproductive organs even under diapause-inducing short-day conditions, whereas RNAi of cyc suppressed development of the reproductive organs even under diapause-averting long-day conditions. Thus, the present study suggests that the circadian clock operated by per and cyc governs photoperiodism of males as that of females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Ikeno
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
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Ikeno T, Numata H, Goto SG. Photoperiodic response requires mammalian-type cryptochrome in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 410:394-7. [PMID: 21669185 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.05.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that a circadian clock comprised of circadian clock genes is causally involved in insect photoperiodism has been supported by several studies. However, there remains a possibility that the effects of the circadian clock genes on photoperiodism are exerted through pleiotropic (non-circadian) functions provided by each gene independently from its role in the circadian clock. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of the circadian clock gene mammalian-type cryptochrome (cry-m) in photoperiodic regulation of ovarian development in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris by using RNA interference (RNAi). Injection of cry-m double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induced expression of period (per), whereas did not affect expression of cycle (cyc), showing that CRY-m functions as a negative element on CYC-mediated transcription in the circadian clock. If the circadian clock is indeed involved in photoperiodism, a phenotype produced by RNAi of cry-m will be the same as that produced by RNAi of per, another negative element. The intact insects and insects injected with control dsRNA were found to enter diapause when kept under short-day conditions after adult emergence, while they developed ovaries when kept under long-day conditions after adult emergence. However, cry-m RNAi significantly increased the incidence of reproductive individuals under diapause-inducing short-day conditions, as per RNAi did, in accordance with our expectation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Ikeno
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
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Ikeno T, Katagiri C, Numata H, Goto SG. Causal involvement of mammalian-type cryptochrome in the circadian cuticle deposition rhythm in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 20:409-415. [PMID: 21435062 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2011.01075.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian-type CRYPTOCHROME (CRY-m) is considered to be a core repressive component of the circadian clock in various insect species. However, this role is based only on the molecular function of CRY-m in cultured cells and it therefore remains unknown whether CRY-m is indispensable for governing physiological rhythms at the organismal level. In the present study, we show that RNA interference (RNAi) targeting of cry-m in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris disrupts the circadian clock governing the cuticle deposition rhythm and results in the generation of a single cuticle layer. Furthermore, period expression was induced in cry-m RNAi insects. These results verified that CRY-m functions as a negative regulator in the circadian clock that generates physiological rhythm at the organismal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ikeno
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Tobback J, Boerjan B, Vandersmissen HP, Huybrechts R. The circadian clock genes affect reproductive capacity in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 41:313-321. [PMID: 21295143 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2010] [Revised: 01/14/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The circadian clocks govern many metabolic and behavioral processes in an organism. In insects, these clocks and their molecular machinery have been found to influence reproduction in many different ways. Reproductive behavior including courtship, copulation and egg deposition, is under strong influence of the daily rhythm. At the molecular level, the individual clock components also have their role in normal progress of oogenesis and spermatogenesis. In this study on the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria, three circadian clock genes were identified and their expression profiles were determined. High expression was predominantly found in reproductive tissues. Similar daily expression profiles were found for period (per) and timeless (tim), while the clock (clk) mRNA level is higher 12h before the first per and tim peak. A knockdown of either per or tim resulted in a significant decrease in the progeny produced by dsRNA treated females confirming the role of clock genes in reproduction and providing evidence that both PER and TIM are needed in the ovaries for egg development. Since the knockdown of clk is lethal for the desert locust, its function remains yet to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Tobback
- Research Group of Insect Physiology and Molecular Ethology, Department of Biology, K.U.Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, Leuven, Belgium.
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Koštál V. Insect photoperiodic calendar and circadian clock: independence, cooperation, or unity? JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:538-556. [PMID: 21029738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2010] [Revised: 10/19/2010] [Accepted: 10/19/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The photoperiodic calendar is a seasonal time measurement system which allows insects to cope with annual cycles of environmental conditions. Seasonal timing of entry into diapause is the most often studied photoperiodic response of insects. Research on insect photoperiodism has an approximately 80-year-old tradition. Despite that long history, the physiological mechanisms underlying functionality of the photoperiodic calendar remain poorly understood. Thus far, a consensus has not been reached on the role of another time measurement system, the biological circadian clock, in the photoperiodic calendar. Are the two systems physically separated and functionally independent, or do they cooperate, or is it a single system with dual output? The relationship between calendar and clock functions are the focus of this review, with particular emphasis on the potential roles of circadian clock genes, and the circadian clock system as a whole, in the transduction pathway for photoperiodic token stimulus to the overt expression of facultative diapause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimír Koštál
- Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Department of Ecophysiology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Saunders DS, Bertossa RC. Deciphering time measurement: the role of circadian 'clock' genes and formal experimentation in insect photoperiodism. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:557-566. [PMID: 21295039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2010] [Revised: 01/18/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
This review examines possible role(s) of circadian 'clock' genes in insect photoperiodism against a background of many decades of formal experimentation and model building. Since ovarian diapause in the genetic model organism Drosophila melanogaster has proved to be weak and variable, recent attention has been directed to species with more robust photoperiodic responses. However, no obvious consensus on the problem of time measurement in insect photoperiodism has yet to emerge and a variety of mechanisms are indicated. In some species, expression patterns of clock genes and formal experiments based on the canonical properties of the circadian system have suggested that a damped oscillator version of Pittendrigh's external coincidence model is appropriate to explain the measurement of seasonal changes in night length. In other species extreme dampening of constituent oscillators may give rise to apparently hourglass-like photoperiodic responses, and in still others there is evidence for dual oscillator (dawn and dusk) photoperiodic mechanisms of the internal coincidence type. Although the exact role of circadian rhythmicity and of clock genes in photoperiodism is yet to be settled, Bünning's general hypothesis (Bünning, 1936) remains the most persuasive unifying principle. Observed differences between photoperiodic clocks may be reflections of underlying differences in the clock genes in their circadian feedback loops.
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Danbara Y, Sakamoto T, Uryu O, Tomioka K. RNA interference of timeless gene does not disrupt circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 56:1738-1745. [PMID: 20637213 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2010] [Revised: 06/28/2010] [Accepted: 07/06/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Molecular studies revealed that autoregulatory negative feedback loops consisting of so-called "clock genes" constitute the circadian clock in Drosophila. However, this hypothesis is not fully supported in other insects and is thus to be examined. In the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, we have previously shown that period (per) plays an essential role in the rhythm generation. In the present study, we cloned cDNA of the clock gene timeless (tim) and investigated its role in the cricket circadian oscillatory mechanism using RNA interference. Molecular structure of the cricket tim has rather high similarity to those of other insect species. Real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that tim mRNA showed rhythmic expression in both LD and DD similar to that of per, peaking during the (subjective) night. When injected with tim double-stranded RNA (dstim), tim mRNA levels were significantly reduced and its circadian expression rhythm was eliminated. After the dstim treatment, however, adult crickets showed a clear locomotor rhythm in DD, with a free-running period significantly shorter than that of control crickets injected with Discosoma sp. Red2 (DsRed2) dsRNA. These results suggest that in the cricket, tim plays some role in fine-tuning of the free-running period but may not be essential for oscillation of the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiki Danbara
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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Photoperiodic diapause under the control of circadian clock genes in an insect. BMC Biol 2010; 8:116. [PMID: 20815865 PMCID: PMC2942818 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-8-116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2010] [Accepted: 09/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most organisms have evolved a circadian clock in order to anticipate daily environmental changes and many of these organisms are also capable of sophisticated measurement of daylength (photoperiodism) that is used to regulate seasonal events such as diapause, migration and polymorphism. It has been generally accepted that the same elements are involved in both circadian (daily) and seasonal (annual) rhythms because both rely upon daily light-dark cycles. However, as reasonable as this sounds, there remains no conclusive evidence of such a molecular machinery in insects. We have approached this issue by using RNA interference (RNAi) in Riptortus pedestris. Results The cuticle deposition rhythm exhibited the major properties of circadian rhythms, indicating that the rhythm is regulated by a circadian clock. RNAi directed against the circadian clock genes of period and cycle, which are negative and positive regulators in the circadian clock, respectively, disrupted the cuticle deposition rhythm and distinct cuticle layers were produced by these RNAi. Simultaneously, period RNAi caused the insect to avert diapause under a diapause-inducing photoperiod whereas cycle RNAi induced diapause under a diapause-averting photoperiod. The expression patterns of juvenile hormone-regulated genes and the application of juvenile hormone analogue suggested that neither ovarian development itself nor a downstream cascade of juvenile hormone secretion, were disturbed by period and cycle RNAi. Conclusions This study revealed that the circadian clock genes are crucial not only for daily rhythms but also for photoperiodic diapause. RNAi directed against period and cycle had opposite effects not only in the circadian cuticle deposition rhythm but also in the photoperiodic diapause. These RNAi also had opposite effects on juvenile hormone-regulated gene expression. It is still possible that the circadian clock genes pleiotropically affect ovarian development but, based on these results, we suggest that the circadian clock operated by the circadian clock genes, period and cycle, governs seasonal timing as well as the daily rhythms. See Commentary: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/115
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Kamae Y, Tanaka F, Tomioka K. Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the clock genes, Clock and cycle, in the firebrat Thermobia domestica. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 56:1291-1299. [PMID: 20416313 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2010] [Revised: 04/09/2010] [Accepted: 04/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Comparative molecular analysis reveals a wide variation of clock mechanisms among insects. In this study, the clock gene homologues of Clock (Td'Clk) and cycle (Td'cyc) were cloned from an apterygote insect, Thermobia domestica. Structural analysis showed that Td'CLK includes bHLH, PAS-A, PAS-B domains but lacks a polyglutamine repeat in the C terminal region that is implicated for transcriptional activity in Drosophila CLK. Td'CYC contains a BCTR domain in its C terminal in addition to the common domains found in Drosophila CYC, i.e. bHLH, PAS-A, PAS-B domains. Unlike in Drosophila, Td'Clk mRNA levels showed no significant daily fluctuation, while Td'cyc exhibited rhythmic expression. A single injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of Td'Clk or Td'cyc into the abdomen of adult firebrats effectively knocked down respective mRNA levels and abolished the rhythmic expression of Td'cyc. Most Td'Clk or Td'cyc dsRNA-injected firebrats lost their circadian locomotor rhythm in constant darkness up to 30 days after injection, whereas those injected with DsRed2 dsRNA as a negative control clearly maintained it. From these results, it is likely that Td'Clk and Td'cyc are involved in the circadian clock machinery in the firebrat. However, the structure and expression profile of Td'Clk and Td'cyc more closely resembles those of mammals than Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Kamae
- Division of Bioscience, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan
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Tomioka K, Matsumoto A. A comparative view of insect circadian clock systems. Cell Mol Life Sci 2010; 67:1397-406. [PMID: 20035363 PMCID: PMC11115600 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-009-0232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 12/08/2009] [Accepted: 12/09/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies revealed that the neuronal network controlling overt rhythms shows striking similarity in various insect orders. The pigment-dispersing factor seems commonly involved in regulating locomotor activity. However, there are considerable variations in the molecular oscillatory mechanism, and input and output pathways among insects. In Drosophila, autoregulatory negative feedback loops that consist of clock genes, such as period and timeless are believed to create 24-h rhythmicity. Although similar clock genes have been found in some insects, the behavior of their product proteins shows considerable differences from that of Drosophila. In other insects, mammalian-type cryptochrome (cry2) seems to work as a transcriptional repressor in the feedback loop. For photic entrainment, Drosophila type cryptochrome (cry1) plays the major role in Drosophila while the compound eyes are the major photoreceptor in others. Further comparative study will be necessary to understand how this variety of clock mechanisms derived from an ancestral one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Tomioka
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
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Muguruma F, Goto SG, Numata H, Shiga S. Effect of photoperiod on clock gene expression and subcellular distribution of PERIOD in the circadian clock neurons of the blow fly Protophormia terraenovae. Cell Tissue Res 2010; 340:497-507. [PMID: 20396905 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-010-0966-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2010] [Accepted: 03/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We examined the effect of photoperiod on the expression of circadian clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim), using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the effect of photoperiod on subcellular distribution of PERIOD (PER), using immunocytochemistry, in the blow fly, Protophormia terraenovae. Under both short-day and long-day conditions, the mRNA levels of per and tim in the brain oscillated, and their peaks and troughs occurred around lights-off and lights-on, respectively. The oscillations persisted even under constant darkness. In the large ventral lateral neurons (l-LN(v)s), small ventral lateral neurons (s-LN(v)s), dorsal lateral neurons (LN(d)s), and medial dorsal neurons (DN(m)s), the subcellular distribution of PER-immunoreactivity changed with time. The number of cells with PER-immunoreactivity in the nucleus was highest 12 h after lights-off and lowest 12 h after lights-on, regardless of photoperiod, suggesting that PER nuclear translocation entrains to photoperiod. When temporal changes in the nuclear localization of PER were compared, the neurons could be classified into 2 groups: the l-LN(v)s were similar to the s-LN(v)s, and the LN(d)s were similar to DN(m)s. In LN(d)s and DN(m)s, decreasing rates of the number of cells with PER immunoreactivity in the nucleus per brain from the maximum were large as compared with those in l-LN(v)s and s-LN(v)s under short-day conditions. These results suggest that photoperiodic information is reflected in the expression patterns of circadian clock genes per and tim and in the subcellular distribution of PER. This observation suggests that the 2 different groups of clock neurons respond to photoperiod in slightly different manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Muguruma
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
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